Alice's Playboy Brothers
by randommama
Summary: Alice Cullen has three playboy brothers-Emmett,Riley,& Edward.After becoming fed up with their playboy ways,she decides to meddle in their love lives and embarks on a mission to rid them of their womanizing ways and find them love.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Admittedly am trying something new. I'm putting this story out there naked, meaning unbeta'ed. I highly don't recommend it, but I saw the growing trend of doing this recently in the fic world and got curious. I also saw it as a challenge to myself to try and pull something like this off and I kind of love trying to take on challenges-that's why I'm such a contest h00r.

Wanna know what the largest part of my motivation for doing this? Well, to be frank, one of my favorite authors in the fandom, Savage7289. She had begun doing this, writing a side-fic like this and updating daily, as a means to help her write and focus on her character's voice of her main WIP story right now, Unexpected Circumstances. This method, if you wanna call it that, seems to be working out for her brilliantly and I've noticed other authors have similarly good results when doing this. I thought maybe I'd try this "mad" method to see if it can help me alleviate being distracted from my two, main WIP stories.

I still love to write and work on my other two stories, but often times I find the other plot bunnies in my head (and there are a lot of them in there) overwhelming and distracting, yearning for their voices to be heard, and can't be ignored. So, I stray and write whatever little drabbles come to me, then try to focus back on writing either of my other fics. But, then those little drabbles haunt me, just sitting inside my Google Docs waiting for their turn. At first, I thought I'd wait until I can finish on one of my WIP and work that way, just keep churning out as soon as I'm done with one; however, I'm reminded that this way could actually take me forever, especially with new distractions always on the horizon. It makes it hard to actually focus on what I should be writing. I figured, if I maybe had this kind of outlet, just releasing as I'm satisfied, then that would help me to better focus and write my major WIP stories. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that's basically the line of thinking I was coming from.

Yes, you can call me crazy now. But, I'm gonna suck up my fear, cause really I am scared about this shit, and I'm going to try this. If only one person reads and cares about this story, no matter, I'm going to do this for myself.

Oh, and you may ask, why not just get it beta'ed, if not my regular beta, find someone else. Well, TBH, I am impatient and any beta'ing will probably take too long. I already give me my regular beta enough to do, between my regular WIP's and other writing that I do send her way for contests and stuff, and she's got a life too, imagine that, so I'd rather not impose too much any more. Finding another beta is not the easiest thing and takes time, as well as it takes time to build a comfortable relationship and getting used to each other's style, plus there's no guarantees that the relationship would even work. So, for now, this works for me—naked fic bringing it out to all of you.

Hopefully, there aren't too many spelling and grammatical mistakes to be found. Excuse them! I don't claim to be perfect in any sense in that department, not even close. I am going to try my best to give you the cleanest version I could as an end result. If you are the nit-picky type and point them out to me, then I'll be more than happy to correct them.

This will honestly be the longest A/N you will find in this story, I promise. I just thought I should do some explaining first. I will be trying for daily updates, but please don't stone me if I don't exactly make it-notice I'm not actually promising daily updates. I can say that if I do miss an update, I'll make up for it with the next one.

Lastly, still got mad love to my beta, Cheermom, even though I'm doing this one on my own, and a special shout-out goes to certain fic buddies of mine-you know who y'all are, that gave me the courage to pursue this and much needed love and support.

**ENJOY MY NEW STORY**

**LEAVE ME YOUR REVIEWS, YOUR OPINIONS MATTER TO ME**

**BUT PLEASE BE KIND, THIS IS NEW TO ME**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Prologue<strong>_

Meet Alice Cullen-every bit the epitome of a smart, beautiful, talented, and successful young woman. She's a culinary student, studying to be the best chef she could possibly be, and those who've tasted her cooking has said that her dishes are already amongst the very best they've ever eaten. Well, Alice is somewhat of a perfectionist, and would settle for nothing less.

Alice has found the love of her life in Jasper Whitlock; however, sadly, they currently aren't together. That's a story saved for another day. She's taking the separation in stride, though, and she's confident that they'll end up back together soon.

We're here to discuss Alice's three older brothers and the mission that Alice had been embroiled in for the better part of the year and a half. You see, her brothers, to put it bluntly, were playboys. They had toyed with many women's hearts, including that of several girlfriends of hers, which incidentally are no longer Alice's friends. As a woman, herself, Alice was extremely offended with their treatment of women and embarrassed by how they wreaked their own brand of havoc all across the city. After an epic evening, nearly a year and a half ago, for which was the last straw for Alice, she embarked on the mission to rid her three brothers of their womanizing ways and find them love.

Now, why, you may ask, would she meddle like this in her brothers' love lives. It's a perfectly legitimate question, which to be brutally honest, Alice wouldn't give you an answer that might satisfy you. Alice would just say that, after that night, she just felt strongly that enough was enough and it was the right time to intervene. Also, she felt that someone had to, and she just took it upon herself.

What Alice would fail to tell you is that it was actually disturbing dreams about her brothers' futures that prompted her to act after that night. More on that later.

You see, Alice is somewhat of a psychic; however, she really doesn't consider herself one, even though she's had very strong intuition and had a good track record of foreshadowing events to come, before they even occurred, when it came to herself and her family ever since she was a little girl. While Alice was aware of her ability, she never placed much more on it than it just being good instincts. While she always trusted her intuition and much of her actions were guided by these predictions, she would still put little faith in the fact that it was psychic ability. Besides, Alice knew the stigma that accompanied people that considered themselves and revealed that they were psychic in any way, and she never wanted to bring that down upon herself. So, no one outside of Alice's immediate family knows about her ability, and she never told any of them about the dreams she had, which she knew meant something.

In any case, Alice embarked on her mission, and now in a matter of a week, the fruits of all her labor would be paying off. She'd successfully helped her brothers to change their womanizing ways and transformed them into loving, committed, emotionally available, boyfriends to three wonderful ladies. Three ladies she personally hand-picked to be the be-all-end-all for her brothers. After having met them, her intuition told her that these were the exact ladies that would capture her brothers' hearts. It was only a matter of time.

Now, three marriage proposals, something that would've been unheard of merely a year and a half ago were on the horizon, and Alice could foresee her family expanding and only happiness ahead for her brothers. She couldn't be happier to be gaining three new sister-in-laws soon.

Although it might be a concern for outsiders looking into these engagements, that they were orchestrated and happening too quickly, or that these couples weren't really in love, but just a product of Alice's meddling, Alice knew otherwise. It was definitely fate between her brothers and their respective girlfriends, and although it was all part of her plan for them to meet and fall in love, she had no hand in actually having that happen. Alice only worked to guide them all and steer them in the right direction and give advice and assistance when it was needed. The rest of which, like actually making the relationship work, had been all up to her brothers.

It was no easy road to get all three of her brothers to this point now-about to embark onto new chapters in their personal lives. There were certainly a few bumps and turns along the road, lots of obstacles and resistance, and there were plenty of surprises along the way. But, Alice, being the perfectionist that she was, despite all that and certain flaws she had discovered in her visions, hadn't given up.

Alice foresaw that without her having orchestrated the introductions and having a hand in pushing these women and her brothers together, her poor brothers wouldn't have met or ended up with their girlfriends, soon-to-be-wives, now. That would've been a travesty and Alice's previous disturbing dreams of her brothers' futures may have come to fruition. This was one reason why she felt that all her meddling was worth the end result. Her brothers, of course, didn't know about Alice's expert matchmaking, but if they ever found out, they'd probably be the first to thank Alice for having brought them the loves of their lives.

Before we get into the heart of the story, though, it's important to first meet Alice's three brothers and then the ladies that captured their hearts. Then we can see how all of Alice's mission unfolded.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **Next up, meet the Skirt Chaser.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **If you're reading my story, go ahead and leave me a review. I DARE YA! I love hearing my readers thoughts and your opinions matter to me. I do respond to each and every review, albeit not always in a timely manner, but you'll eventually hear from me.

**REVIEWS ARE LIKE AUTHOR'S CRACK**

**ONE HIT & WE'RE ADDICTED**

**AT LEAST IT'S THAT WAY FOR ME**

**SO, GO FOR IT, AND DEAL ME OUT SOME REVIEWS**

**PLEASE!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Emmett-The Skirt Chaser<strong>

Meet Emmett Cullen-Alice's eldest brother. Blessed with ruggedly handsome looks, Emmett's tall and bulky, athletic frame, dark hair with hazel eyes, killer dimples, and bright smile, as well as a very charming personality, was always a hit with the ladies; hence, why he'd become a notorious womanizer.

He's a former high school football star, who was expected to turn pro, but when blown out knees playing college football ended that career goal, he merged his love of football with a career in medicine, somewhat following in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. He now worked as one of the team doctors for the Seattle Seahawks-his dream job.

Despite his playboy ways, Emmett is fiercely loyal to and protective of his family. He liked to be the best son he could be to his parents and he loved his brothers and sister tremendously that he would do anything for them, except maybe give up his womanizing. Emmett likes his family close and takes his big-brother-of-the-family title very seriously. He really was the glue that keeps he and his siblings from drifting apart.

Keeping his family close together is part of the reason why he, Alice, and the other Cullen brothers live together. At the time that he had bought the house, it made financial sense for them to all live together. However, now, they're all just used to it and Emmett wouldn't have it any other way. He knew that the sense of family was just as important to them as it was to him. Besides, there was more than enough room in the house for each of them to have their own space if need be, and an added bonus to Emmett was the fact that their parents simply adore him for keeping them close like this.

While football was a big part of his life, Emmet had other interests. He dabbled in other sports, too, like playing baseball, ice hockey, and even golf; although his golf handicap left much to be desired. When once he was very accurate at catching even the most errant football pass, his swing was not so accurate, and his golf balls usually ended up in the rough or in the water more than on the green.

Since the Cullen parents insisted on raising well-rounded children, Emmett was not excused from learning to play a musical instrument. With him being a big and bold personality, of course, he had to choose an instrument with a big, bold sound-the drums. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen might have regretted their decision to pay for drum lessons, considering the copious amounts of headaches and possible hearing damage his learning to pound the drums had caused.

Real estate investing was another interest of his. Well, more like a passion, really. There was just something about houses that Emmett loved and when he found a good deal on a home he simply couldn't do without, he just couldn't help but buy it. He was on a constant lookout for homes that would catch his eye. Therefore, Emmett owned homes all around the world. He has just enough real estate under his belt to never have to live in a hotel ever again in the cities he frequently visited. In large part, many of the homes he'd invested in remain empty, save for a caretaker that Emmett has hired to maintain the upkeep of the property. That was due to Emmett loving a particular home so much that he couldn't bear anyone else to be living in it besides him, even if it's only once, for a short-time, each year. Some of his properties did have renters and he had reaped enough profits from commercial real estate to be able to have all of his houses sitting empty, and have him just pay a caretaker a suitable wage for the maintenance and upkeep of the homes, for life.

Basically, Emmett had money. It was yet another reason he was popular with the ladies.

His dream job as a team doctor was also a dream job in more ways than one, because it allowed Emmett to be surrounded by football loving and sports minded women-his preferred type of gal. If there was one thing that could compete with Emmett's love of football, it was his love for women.

He simply loved women-women of all types, shapes, and sizes. He didn't particularly care. He's practically dated and bedded all kinds, some the likes of whom Alice could've never imagined Emmett would've been attracted to. As long as they were "real" women, could wear a skirt, and caught his eye for some reason or another, then Emmett was down for the chase. If he'd found that they had some liking to or was knowledgeable about football and sports in general, well that made them even better. No woman was even off-limits for Emmett to pursue. Emmett just wasn't very discerning.

That was his biggest problem, though-Emmett loved females a little too much and he could never keep a steady relationship going. He kept bouncing around from girl to girl and sometimes would even try to maintain multiple girlfriends at the same time, which never ended well. He was ruled by his libido and kept "falling in love" with every new girl he met. In truth, he was just in love with the idea of being "in love". The guy didn't just have flavors of the month, he'd have a flavor of the week, and Alice could even argue that sometimes it was just a flavor of the day. She'd seen him in the company of so many different women that she had trouble keeping them straight; heck, Emmett, himself probably had trouble keeping all his girlfriends straight. Emmett certainly had fidelity issues and was pretty much only attracted to the thrill of the chase-the high he got when he started feeling attracted to someone and wanted to pursue a relationship with them. Often times, before the thrill even dissipated with one, some other woman had caught Emmett's attention then he'd already move on to this next one.

This was why Alice dubbed Emmett, The Skirt Chaser.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN**: Sorry, this is more than several hours late. But I'll have another one by tonight *fingers crossed* that I don't fall asleep first.

Next, we'll meet Emmett's perfect match, Rosalie, the Blonde Bombshell.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Working on my other 2 main WIP stories also, I swear.

So, we've already met Emmett. Now, we'll meet his love Rosalie, and later we'll see how they came together with a little nudge from Alice.

**THANKS FOR READING**

**LEAVE ME A REVIEW OR DON'T, UP TO YOU**

**BUT I PREFER TO KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Rosalie Hale-The Blonde Bombshell<strong>

Rosalie Hale was indeed a vision. Even Alice couldn't help but form a girl crush when she first met the woman. Tall and elegant, with flowing blonde hair and blue eyes, the face of a model, and a body that most women would simply kill for, Alice likened her to a goddess amongst mere mortal woman. You don't meet a woman that looked like Rosalie every day.

Although, Alice was quite comfortable in her own skin, she wasn't ashamed to admit that she was particularly envious of Rosalie's naturally large boobs. The size of boob-age that Rosalie had was a size that Alice always longed for, since she genetically lacked in that department.

Rosalie had been really blessed with the genetic gifts her parents gave her, and from the time she was a little girl, she knew exactly how beautiful she was. She also had a commanding personality to go along with her beauty and knew, whenever she walked into a room, heads turned. It had always been that way ever since she could remember.

Surprisingly, however, Rosalie wasn't a world class bitch, as Alice would've pegged her out to be. Alice had seen her type before-women too beautiful for their own good, with feelings of entitlement, and an expectation that everyone treat them special and bow at their feet just because of their superior looks. Rosalie was none of that. She wasn't snooty, conceited, arrogant, or even acted like she was above everyone else. In fact, Rosalie is one of the nicest people Alice has ever known.

Just don't get on Rosalie's bad side though. Rosalie was more than happy to bring out her inner bitch if called for. She, too, was a fiercely loyal and protective individual to her friends and family and an advocate for justice. She could never stand for anyone to get wronged.

Sure, Rosalie knew that she beckoned attention; however, she never actually demands the attention nor flaunts her beauty. The attention she received was just a fact of life that she had become used to. Most days, if Rosalie was to be honest, she didn't like nor welcome the attention whatsoever. Well, what woman would like to be ogled constantly and misjudged frequently that she was without a brain?

Rosalie did have a brain. She's quite an intelligent woman who also happened to be very artistic and goal-driven. She turned her talents into a lucrative career in architecture and is making a name for herself in the business. The fact that many are confounded by her being an architect, not able to reconcile her chosen profession to her beauty, worked to her advantage because it pushes her to succeed. Proving her retractors wrong is also a driving factor for her motivation to become well-know within her industry.

As soon as Alice had gotten to know Rosalie better, she realized that she was the perfect match for her brother, Emmett. Not only did they have a love for houses in common, they were alike in many other ways, especially in the fact that they both were larger than life personalities and commanded attention wherever they went. They would relate greatly to one another with their sense of loyalty, protectiveness, and commitment to family. Rosalie also knew about cars, which Emmett could stand to learn a thing or two from her on that matter, and Rosalie is a huge football fan, often times taking Sundays off during the season just so she could be available to watch the games all day long. Damn, if Rosalie didn't look spectacular wearing a skirt.

Alice knew that the moment she introduced Rosalie to Emmett, he'd be brought to his knees. Not only was she attractive, but she also met a lot of Emmett's preferences and there were added bonuses to Rosalie that Emmett probably never even realized he needed in a woman.

In turn, Rosalie would fall for Emmett. No woman could resist Emmett's charms, even if they tried. He'd flash his winning smile and show off those remarkable dimples of his, and she would be putty in his hands. Emmett also had an amazing ability to turn some of his more childish qualities into something that Rosalie would probably find cute and endearing. Rosalie did always have a soft spot for kids. Alice knew of no one else that wasn't a bigger kid at heart than Emmett. Emmett is also definitely a step-up from Rosalie's last loser boyfriend, Royce.

Well, everything went according to plan. The two met and it was instant kismet. Of course, Alice had no doubt. She greatly enjoyed observing that Emmett's complete attention became solely focus on Rosalie the moment he met her; he really stopped noticing other women once she came into his life. She instantly trusted his intentions, unlike with other men, whom Rosalie was always wary that they only wanted to be with her because of her beauty. They were good for each other.

There were rocky patches along the way, which was to be expected since they were both such passionate people. No relationship that was worth it weren't without its problems. Emmett and Rosalie's arguments were almost as epic as the fights that Emmett would have with his brothers. However, Rosalie wouldn't allow Emmet to give up on them. She never went down without a fight. In the end, they realized that they were indeed made for one another.

Rosalie always kept Emmett on his toes and never stood for his philandering, which were exactly the reasons why she was going to become his wife soon.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Whew! Just making it on time to post this before it turns midnight on the West Coast of the US-that counts as today still, right. Tee hee, I actually did fall asleep early, like I tend to do when I put my baby down for the night. But, luckily, the other kiddos woke me up because they were suppose to be in bed, but weren't.

Coming up, we'll meet the Commitment-Phobic brother.


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Hanging with me thus far? Doing good thus far? Hopefully, not too many silly mistakes.

Thanks for all of you who have started to read my story-its much appreciated!

**FEEL FREE TO REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Edward-The Commitment-Phobe<strong>

Meet Alice's middle brother, Edward. He's the sensitive, romantic type and blessed with his own genetic gifts. Edward has, what Alice can only describe as, a very beautiful face for a man, full of strong, angular lines and coupled with piercing green eyes. He wasn't large or overly muscled like Emmett, but Edward is tall and lean with a solid body. Alice had heard girlfriends in the past rave about Edward's toned chest, six-packed abs, the V-shape of his hips, and him having a great butt.

Edward is a writer mainly, but he's dabbled in playwriting also, and student teaches at a local high school, teaching English and Writing. He's been working towards gaining his teaching certificate just in case the writing career didn't work out. That was him-always with the backup plan; although, he already had a lucrative book deal with a publishing house and his first book of short stories had been well-received. It was rather impressive accomplishment for a man of his young age. However, since he just stumbled into this writing thing, he wasn't going to take any chances and still worked towards his Master's in Education to become a teacher like he had originally planned.

Besides, Edward did enjoy teaching. He felt a sense of achievement in helping to mold young minds. He saw no reason why he couldn't be both an accomplished writer and a teacher at the same time. He hadn't really thought about it, but he may even want to further his education and get his PhD and become a professor. There were plenty of professors that were also published authors. In fact, he may have even slept with one or two before.

Like his other siblings, he's musical as well. He plays the piano and has a passion for playing the guitar. Unlike his siblings, however, he actually enjoys classical music and classic rock-n-roll and blues. But, his musical tastes are varied, made evident buy his extensive music collection in his room and eclectic mix of songs that can be found on his iPod.

Apart from music and writing, Edward's interests included travel and photography and he'd take a trip each year to some new, exotic destination just so he could capture the trip in photographs, and depending on his schedule, sometimes it would be more than one trip. There were a couple of these vacations that Edward even took a girlfriend with him.

Edward also enjoyed fast cars, which is why he drove a Volvo pocket-rocket of a car and owned a Vanquish. Now that he had more money than he knew what to do with because of his publishing deal, he decided to invest in a collection of speed demons, obtaining a yellow Porsche recently, which he let a very grateful Alice drive on occasion, to add to his collection which already had a Saleen S7, Lotus, Corvette, and souped up classic Ford Mustang convertible. He also owned a couple of motorcycles, a Ducati and a Harley, but they were just for show. Because he couldn't house all his vehicles at home, Emmett had found him a nice and inexpensive garage where he could park his ever-growing collection.

Edward did love his toys. Alice believed that there were some women out there that just dated Edward for his collection of cars. Admittedly, Edward did choose very sexy-looking vehicles and she would bet money that he had christened all of them at some point, including the motorcycles.

It would be hard to believe that this honest to a fault, witty, charming, with gentlemanly manners guy was a womanizer, but he was. He had a totally different problem from his brother Emmett, though.

Edward wasn't necessarily opposed to relationship because he did like the regularity of having a girlfriend around. He enjoyed the companionship of women greatly and liked having a woman around to fulfill his needs. He also liked having a woman be available to him whenever he needed her. However, he wasn't one to be tied down.

All of Edward's relationships were casual and he tried to make it clear to women before he dated them that he wanted no strings attached. Those were his terms and he greatly controlled his relationships to be that way. Edward enjoyed his freedom too much and didn't want to be clung to. It wasn't unheard of for him to be dating several women casually at once, so when one was unavailable for him, there was always another he could readily turn to.

Then Edward had a couple of women whom Alice can only classify as his go-to friends with benefits. He always came back around to them at some point, especially after break-ups. Why these women would stoop to being just that for Edward, Alice could never figure out, but she figured that her brother must have some mad sexual skills in the bedroom which is why they stayed around and available.

Because he was adamant about not being trapped, Edward was almost obsessive about the use of birth control. He made sure that he never bedded a woman without a condom and that the women he was with were well taken care of in that department. With as many partners as he's had, at least he'd made sure to be safe.

The casual relationships always worked for a while with the women that Edward dated. They seemed just happy enough to have the privilege of dating Edward Cullen; however, eventually, they ended up always wanting more, which Edward couldn't provide. As soon as the girls would ask for more of a commitment from him or Edward started feeling suffocated in the relationship, he'd end it. The poor girls were dropped faster than a hot potato, some not even realizing the mistake they made.

This was why Alice dubbed Edward, The Commitment-Phobe.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Tomorrow we'll get to know the girl that tamed Edward. Bella, of course.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you that are reading the story! I appreciate the support! If you're liking the story, spread the word if you can.

Have to give a big shout-out to my friend, Dancerone, whom I sorta, kinda pilfered Bella's lovely nickname from. It's the name of her lovely SWATH and Kristen Stewart fan site, and well I thought the name was fitting for our story Bella, too. Hope she doesn't mind. If you're on Twitter, follow her site's twitter, nchantng, and you'll be led to her wonderful fan site for all things SWATH and of course SWATH's enchanting Snow White, Kristen.

**REVIEWS DO MAKE MY DAY**

**AND THIS STORY COULD USE A LITTLE MORE**

**SO PLEASE SEND ME YOUR THOUGHTS**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Isabella Swan-The Enchanting Beauty<strong>

When Alice met Isabella Swan, or Bella, as she prefers to be called, Alice knew that she'd found more than an instant best friend-she'd found what she felt was like a sister already. It was a very good thing that Edward, Bella's perfect match, had the sense enough to propose to Bella and soon she was going to be a part of the family and a real sister to Alice.

Alice had forgiven Edward in the past for his many indiscretions and offenses against her, especially where he'd had a hand in her losing yet another girlfriend because of his womanizing ways; however, Alice knew that if Edward ever hurt Bella and cut her loose, then he most certainly wouldn't be forgiven and that she may just practice her slicing and dicing techniques on Edward's male anatomy. Edward did know better than to mess with his pixie of a sister. Alice may have been small in stature, but she could be lethal when she wanted to be and he knew very well that Alice had become fiercely protective of Bella.

Bella is the stuff that Edward's dreams are made off. She's an enchanting beauty, her face simply naturally gorgeous, that even with not a lot of make-up on, she was still breathtakingly beautiful. Tiny cute freckles dotted the smooth and soft porcelain skin of her lovely face, her lips full with the bottom one pouty and kissable, and the centerpiece of her beauty being her deep, chestnut brown eyes with long lashes that framed it, of which anyone can tell you that when Bella gazed at you, it was like she was looking into your soul.

Bella was simply stunning when she got all dolled up, although she is an unassuming beauty, never really being able to accept the compliments regarding her attractiveness. Bella never could see herself clearly. This was one of the reasons why Bella blushed profusely, embarrassed whenever someone would point out to her how truly beautiful she was. Everyone, especially Edward, thought Bella's signature blush was one of the cutest, most adorable, and endearing things about her.

Bella is also small in stature like Alice, albeit no one was as tiny as Alice. Bella did have a few inches on Alice, but she still wasn't exactly of supermodel height. However, her petite and slim build, with shapely curves in all the places that counted, and long, slender legs made to look even longer with Bella's penchant to wear skinny jeans, mini-dresses, and high heels, always caused Bella to appear taller than she really was. Alice could wager that despite her height, a modeling agency would approach Bella anyways-she was still gorgeous personified.

That all didn't matter anyways, since she is exactly the right height for Edward, heels or not. It was strange how Bella just seemed to naturally and perfectly fit with Edward's body. It was something that Edward noticed right away, not having ever felt that way with any of the women of his past. As soon as Edward discovered this, he became further drawn to Bella.

Alice met Bella when she stumbled into a little corner book shop. After an exhausting day of shopping for the latest innovative gadgets in the culinary field, Alice thought to unwind inside, seeing that it housed a tiny but full-service cafe. Bella was at the book store counter, helping some customers with their literary purchases, and immediately Alice was struck with a vision upon hearing Bella greet her as she walked in. She was meant to get to know the girl behind the counter. Alice feigned interest in buying an original copy of a book, struck up a conversation, and a couple of hours later the two of them were sitting in the cafe laughing hysterically, becoming fast friends.

Initially, Alice had no idea that Bella was an entrepreneur and actually owned that little corner book shop. Although, Bella could very well leave her small but efficient staff to run the daily affairs of the book shop and just deal with the business side of things, Bella loved being around the books too much and meeting her customers that she chose to come in every day and work in the store, even reading to the children during story time, and occasionally even filling in at the cafe. That went to show Alice exactly the kind of person Bella is.

After getting to know Bella better, Alice just knew that Edward would grow to love her and Bella would fall madly and deeply for Edward. There was something in Bella's steely gaze that just told Alice that Bella was the girl that would tame Edward, causing him to want to have a commitment with her. Ironically, Bella, Alice found, was a non-commitment type of gal, her only dedication at the time being to her books and business.

Bella made time for relationships when she could, flitting from one bad one to another, but not really caring that her personal life was that way. She wasn't one who needed to have a ring, unlike other women she knew her age that were chomping at the bit to find the one so that they could get married and start a family.

Bella was the product of divorced parents, so she never placed much importance in the institution. Who could blame her when her only example wasn't necessarily a good one?

The minute Edward laid eyes on Bella, he was a goner. The man did have a preference for brunettes and Bella only needed to flick her long, shiny, and flowing mahogany locks to get Edward's attention.

Edward, at first, acted as if Bella didn't affect him as much as she really had; however, that pretense was dropped the moment Alice moved Bella into their house. Edward could not keep himself away, and like a creepy stalker, found himself sneaking into her room each night just to watch her sleep. It wasn't as if Bella would lock her bedroom door, though. Edward believes he fell in love with Bella the moment he first heard her say his name in her sleep.

There was an inexplainable pull between them. Edward couldn't wait to change his ways once he had found Bella, really the woman of his dreams. She had everything he wanted in a woman and she was certainly more than he could have even have imagined. This was why Bella Swan is going to be Mrs. Edward Cullen.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** This was down to the wire folks. I ran into some minor difficulties when I was getting ready to post this before midnight on the WC, mainly family hindering me (eyeroll), so I'm behind by a few minutes.

Saturdays are usually strictly family day for me, but I'll see if I can post the upcoming Riley chapter sometime later, maybe before midnight on the WC again.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** I've gotta say that the response to my story has been great and it looks like its readership is growing—that warms my heart sooo much! Thank you readers!

I embarked on this project to help me better write my other 2 WIP's, _It Happened One Night _and _How Did I Fall In Love With You _(Gawd, how I need to update HDIFILWY) and surprisingly, it has helped me. I have been writing profusely what I need to write for those stories next. In fact, with my beta's help, I should update both of those soon. I do have chapters already banked with her. Again, I feel I have to explain that she has a full life, just like me, and I already have her taking time out to beta lots of other things for me, so instead of further imposing, going at this one alone, just to get it out of the way—this has been in my head for the longest time, screaming to get out, so I am just now indulging it.

All right, enough of that. Let's continue with the introductions, shall we? One more introduction after this then we can really get this story party started.

**WANNA MAKE MY DAY**

**LEAVE ME A REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Riley-The Seductive Predator<strong>

Meet Riley, the youngest of the Cullen brothers, and Alice's fraternal twin. Fraternal being the operative word here. They may have been born at the same time, but they were nothing alike. They hardly even resembled each other, except for having the same distinctive brown eyes. Well, they may have had more of a resemblance if Alice didn't go all wild child when she was a teen and decided to permanently dye her hair black, instead of keeping it in the brown tones range like she had been born with.

Riley also had almost a whole foot height advantage over Alice, which he never failed to tease Alice about. How Alice ended being such a pixie of a girl, Riley could never understand? Her brothers towered over her. Alice would just say that he was the twin that hogged all of the nutrients when they were in the womb together, leaving her next to none, explaining away the discrepancy. That always garnered a laugh from everyone.

Riley was the shortest of the Cullen boys, though, but he still stood quite tall, being just a couple of inches shy of Edward's 6'1" height. His body seemed to be a combination of his brothers, having Edward's lean frame, but Emmett's more athletic built. It's still a very nice solid form judging by how well he used it to attract the women.

Riley only needed to run his hands through his honey-colored locks, flash a winning smile, and flex his tattooed biceps and women were practically putty in his hands. He also inherited what had to be the Cullen charm, because he is just as charming as his older brothers. Being the youngest, though, Alice figured Riley must've learned it from Emmett and Edward, if charm can be something learned.

Like Alice, Riley is also a student, but studying an entirely different field. Having always had a head for business, it was only natural for him to study business and economics; his goal being to open a string of popular bars someday. In the meantime, he earned his keep by bartending at one of the most famous clubs in the city, Midnight Sun. Riley, to be expected, is one of the most popular bartenders at the club and the owner is always trying to push Riley into working more hours than he'd already scheduled to work. However, as much as Riley enjoyed the atmosphere and the tons of women that flocked to the club regularly, his first priority has always been to finishing his degree. He really is very goal-oriented and wanted to learn enough of the business industry to be able to establish his bar business successfully.

While it wouldn't seem like it, Riley is rather soft-spoken. He rarely is much of a conversationalist, but when he did speak, it was with power and purpose. He's the total reverse of Alice, who's nothing short of a chatterbox and could talk a mile a minute without even taking a breath, especially when she got riled up about something. See, yet another example of how he and Alice are complete opposites.

The musical Cullen family wouldn't be complete without Riley playing bass guitar; however, much like he handled his women, he was always looking for the next new experience, so he also ended up learning to play a variety of other instruments as well.

Besides playing music, Alice would say that Riley's only other main interest was playing with women's hearts. She wouldn't have expected her twin to be anything less than a womanizer also; after all, he learned by example from Emmett and Edward. However, Alice felt that out of all her brothers, Riley may just be the worst kind of playboy.

Riley had once drunkenly confessed that he'd never "jammed his cock in the same hole." Although, it was crudely said at the time, it was the complete truth-Riley never slept with any woman twice.

That was his problem. He was like a hunter that stalked and chased his prey, the prey being women. Riley would set his sights on a woman and pour all his energy into pursuing her. He'd wine and dine her, use all of his male charms to get her thoroughly seduced and even capture her heart, then he'd go in for the "kill", so to speak, by bedding her. The girlfriends only ever stuck around for as long as they held out sleeping with Riley. Afterwards, Riley would move on to find the next new conquest. He'd sleep with them, dump them, and never look back. He'd left a trail of women crying, broken-hearted, pining away for him and wondering what went wrong, as well as women who figured him out and felt stupid for being conquered and allowing him to treat them like they were just another notch on his bedpost.

It didn't matter to Riley how good the relationships or the sex were, he was ready to move on to the next new experience to be found in the arms of another woman. He was just like an extreme hunter who would jet-set all over the world in order to capture a certain animal, then once the animal was captured, stuffed, and mounted as the hunter's trophy, the hunter was off again to capture the next big prey.

It also didn't matter to Riley how long it took the woman to give into his advances. In fact, Alice would take a gander that the longer it took Riley to get the girl into his bed, the bigger the thrill he got from the pursuit. He would step up his seduction or change tact, just like a hunter would shift his hunting technique if the prey he wanted to capture was proving particularly elusive. Like the best hunters out there, Riley always succeeded eventually, or he wouldn't have even bothered with the woman. From experience, Riley knew when to cut his losses and went after only the most lucrative hunt. He treated his girlfriends as nothing more than mere playthings, means to an end.

This was why Alice dubbed Riley, The Seductive Predator.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Sorry, I didn't get this one out yesterday, as I would've hoped. I was simply exhausted after going to several community garage sales all morning and spent the rest of the day pretty much asleep and cuddling my baby-no lie. I also think its the sleep deprivation that got to me. Got to pay the sleep debt sometime.

So, to make it up, a two-fer. We meet Riley's exotic flower, Bree. Then all our introductions are done and we can get to Alice's mission.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Glad to finally get all these introductions out of the way. Please keep in mind that the introductions are just that-an introduction. Just a way to get to know all the players in this crazy story of mine. More details will be revealed about them as the story moves along. From here on out, the chapters will be longer, more descriptive, and more detailed. I'm really going to try and swing the frequent updates.

BTW, this is not the Bree Tanner you know from the books. I'm taking creative license here.

Have to give a much deserved shout-out and lots of my appreciation to the wonderfully talented, EmilyMarie15, who's agreed to make a lovely banner for this story. I'm so grateful! As soon as she's done with it, I'll definitely present it to all of you readers.

**REVIEWS ARE WONDERFUL TO ME**

**TRY WRITING ONE**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Bree Tanner-The Exotic Flower<strong>

When Alice first ran into Bree Tanner, she spent a majority of her time just gaping at her. Bree is undoubtedly very beautiful, but unlike anyone Alice had ever seen before, and Alice had seen a variety of women pass through the revolving doors of her brothers' bedrooms. She knew that she would've remembered a girl like Bree. Alice had figured that the woman belonged at a Miss Universe pageant.

Alice spent a good ten minutes ogling in wonder, until Bree felt uncomfortable enough with Alice's staring that she finally spoke up and effectively chastised Alice for treating her like she was an animal at the zoo. Alice apologized profusely, grinned widely, and knew that she liked the woman already. Then Alice got that special feeling again, the same one she had gotten only two previous times before, when she met Rosalie Hale and Isabella Swan. A vision of this woman in the arms of her brother, Riley, then popped into Alice's head and remained fixated there. Within minutes after that, Alice and Bree were talking as if they were long-time girlfriends and setting a lunch date.

Alice had the winning charm too. Since the charm only seemed to work on women, she used it to gain a lot of gal pals, because with the way her brothers would run them off with their womanizing ways, she needed a constant number of girlfriends as replacements for the ones she lost. The irony wasn't lost on her that she had three of whom had become her most cherished girlfriends actually be the women that captured her brothers' hearts.

Bree is an exotic beauty. Her raven hair flowed seamlessly down her shoulders and served as a nice contrast to her olive skin. Bree's almond-shaped eyes are normally a rich, chocolate brown, but Bree has the propensity to change her eye color depending, using colored contacts to keep her eye color different, plus she really did need her contacts to see; otherwise, she claims she'd be as blind as a bat. At the time that Alice met her, her eyes were the deepest shade of blue, which made her stunning and that was why Alice was so taken aback. When Bree and Riley first laid eyes on each other, Bree's eyes were violet. Riley almost fainted, all of his blood flow having gone down to his other head; she was that beautiful to him.

Bree had a fit and toned body like that of an athlete, but with perfect curves. Oh, how Riley enjoyed those curves. As soon as they started dating, Riley's favorite thing to do is caress her curves.

Bree worked as a nurse. She is mainly a maternity ward nurse, helping to make pregnant women comfortable during labor, then assisting with deliveries. However, on occasions that the hospital was short-staffed, Bree was able to work in the pediatrics ward and she absolutely loved to bring her own brand of sunshine to the sick kids. She especially enjoyed subbing in the NICU, because it brought her such joy to be taking care of the hospital's littlest patients and being able to provide some sort of comfort to the parents who had babies in that wing.

Bree was passionate about her work, especially since her work involved a tiny life. She wasn't ashamed to admit that tears freely flowed at both the happiest and darkest of times during her time at the hospital.

Bree's obvious devotion to her patients is what particularly endeared Riley to her. She not only had a bubbling personality, but she also had the biggest heart. Riley couldn't help but fall head-over-heels in love with her. He didn't think he had ever dated a more loving, caring woman before. Riley greatly enjoyed Bree being able to talk medicine with his dad.

In turn, the moment Bree saw Riley with his good looks, tousled hair, tattooed, and sweaty, she was smitten. Yeah, Alice's brothers never had trouble attracting women, based on their physical attributes alone. Once she got to know Riley, he wasn't as bad as Alice made him seem, and she fell hard for him.

Bree actually found it adorable how Riley, who was normally quite suave around other woman, had become more shy, uncertain, and down-right goofy around her. She could tell that she was already different to him. Edward and Emmett thought it painful to watch all of Riley's bumbling around Bree, but she found it cute.

However, if Alice was to render a guess about the one defining thing that has kept the two of them together was the fact that Bree has been determined to keep her virtue in tack while still having a fulfilling relationship. You see, Bree was raised very religious and her belief is that the intimacy of sex is to be saved for the sanctity of marriage.

Her stance on the subject is largely the reason that Bree has remained single all this time. She's had many boyfriends in her past, but none of whom shared her same belief or was willing to wait. It didn't discourage Bree, however, nor did all the disappointment make her change her mind. She knew she'd find the right guy eventually.

Riley could've never imagined that he had found himself probably one of the last few virgins left in their city. It was difficult at first to reconcile Bree's belief as a part of her, because all he saw was a walking sex-kitten. In a way, it was kind of refreshing to him to have found someone that didn't immediately want to jump his bones. In spite of temptation, Bree did not want to be just another conquest to Riley. Determined to change his ways for her, because Bree had filled his life with so much more than he could've ever imagined, Riley surprisingly agreed to have them wait. It wasn't the easiest of tasks, but they helped each other to remain true and stay on course.

For all of his smooth operation and being a master at seduction, Riley had met his match in Bree. This is why Riley Cullen is going to marry Bree Tanner, and their long-awaited wedding night is going to be amazing.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Okay, I know I was a bit of a flake updating this time. I honestly tried hard to have both Chapters 5 and 6 posted yesterday, but the family wasn't cooperating. In penance, I'll have the next chapter up sometime before it's midnight in my time zone.

Here's a teaser for you all:

_"FYI, little brother, it is my fucking business when you decide to think with your dick instead of your brain," Emmett yelled back, fury evident in his eyes._


	8. Chapter 7 Part 1

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **As promised, before midnight my time, the next chapter of this story. Am I forgiven now for my little posting hiccup before?

We've started the true crux of the story. I ended it where I did, when I could've gone longer, because it seemed better for the flow—not because I wanted a cliffie. Can the end of this chapter really be called a cliffie? The second part will be considerably longer-fair warning.

The wonderfully talented banner maker, EmilyMarie15, has finished the banner for this story and it looks simply beautiful. She made it more than I could've ever hoped for or could ever imagine. I will put the link to view it up on my profile tomorrow. I want you all to see it, but right now I'm just exhausted and think it better to go to bed.

**ENJOYING THE STORY**

**TELL ME IN A REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: The Night Alice's Mission Began- Part 1<strong>

"_Wild Boys"_

_by Duran Duran_

_The wild boys are calling  
>On their way back from the fire<br>In august moon's surrender to  
>A dust cloud on the rise<br>Wild boys fallen far from glory  
>Reckless and so hungered<br>On the razors edge you trail_

Alice's mission began one night when she found herself living with three, highly sexually-frustrated brothers, who had simply become intolerable to live with. She had awoken to another heated argument they were having, this time as they returned back from a night out trolling the clubs for new girls to keep their beds warm at night. It wasn't as if she was even sleeping really, but it still greatly annoyed her that they were loud enough to rouse her from bed.

She had a strong feeling that this night was going to end badly. It was why she could only lightly slumber. Alice knew that a surefire blow-up was going to ensue between her brothers and she was practically waiting around for it to happen. Of course, she had hoped that this time her intuition was wrong; there had been far too many of these fights of late already, but Alice knew that her visions were never less than accurate.

When she got the vision of the night ending up in a fist-fight between Emmett and Riley, with poor Edward caught in the middle, she had practically pleaded for her brothers to forgo their evening plans in favor of a night of quiet, family bonding. It had been worth the try, but deep inside Alice knew that her brothers would never choose a night of playing board games with one another over finding any woman to relieve their sexual tensions.

Her brothers, Emmett, Edward, and Riley had all found themselves currently without a girlfriend, or a woman, Alice should say, since some never even stuck around long enough to actually be considered to be in a relationship. Emmett, especially, was notorious for one-night stands. So, her brothers had been without female companionship, according to their standards, too long; something neither of them were used to, and it made them extremely volatile individuals. Even Edward, who normally had friends with benefits who came in handy for situations after a break-up like he had, found himself without any of his standard go-to's available. You can imagine that notorious womanizers such as Alice's brothers were at a loss and that was why tempers flared easily.

With a heavy sigh, Alice threw her legs off the side of the bed and made her way to her bedroom door. She could hear Emmett's booming voice echoing from downstairs, his tone getting louder by the second, sounding like thunder as it bounced off the walls of the house. Alice also heard Riley shouting back in anger, his tone like ice, and Edward half-heartedly trying to diffuse the situation.

Knowing that they were too enthralled in their current argument to notice her, she opened her bedroom door to eavesdrop. The shouting match was escalating, but she still held out hope that she wouldn't need to intervene and the fist-fight she'd envisioned would not come to fruition. Oh, who was she kidding?

"Fucking, fuck you, Em! It was really none of your fucking business," Riley yelled as he gave Emmett a shove, which actually caused Emmett to stumble back a little in surprise.

Edward immediately sprung to brace himself between Emmett and Riley, placing a long arm on each one of their chests, trying to prevent Emmett from retaliating. Riley glared daggers at both of his brothers, he was steaming mad. Riley had his hands balled up in fists, ready to throw a punch. Emmett's hands were also clenched.

Edward tried to calm his brothers down, "Hey guys...c'mon, please lets not do this now. I understand that you both are riled up, but can't we just drop it?" He wasn't too happy having to play referee.

Edward was tired, exhausted really, coupled that with being pretty intoxicated, he was ready to just get some sleep. He was irritated at Riley for starting up a fight, when there was really no reason; at least, according to him and Emmett. Riley was riding Emmett pretty hard, but he had been the one in the wrong. But, Edward knew that it must've been the alcohol in Riley's system that was clouding his judgment.

"FYI, little brother, it is my fucking business when you decide to think with your dick instead of your brain," Emmett shouted back and his eyes were blazing with fury. He tried to shove Edward aside to further get in Riley's face, but Edward had steeled himself and was like an unmoving brick wall.

Alice was riveted in her spot. She just rolled her eyes at her brothers crude language. Like she had predicted, it was a woman that obviously caused this argument.

Edward tried to speak up again, "Please...Em...Ry...just stop this now. It's obvious neither one of you is thinking clearly. We can't change anything that's happened tonight. Why don't we all just sleep things off? You two can revisit your discussion in the morning when your heads are clearer."

Riley growled, "Oh, fucking spare me, Edward. Go to bed if you want. I don't need you to hold me back from that righteous asshole." Emmett growled back. "You guys had no fucking right. I told you what the deal was. Why couldn't you guys just cut me a fucking break?"

As much as Edward was tempted to leave Riley and Emmett to their ridiculous fight, he knew he was the only one preventing the house from getting torn up again from another boxing match between them. The hole in the wall their last fight created was still not patched up and the chair they had broken was still not replaced.

"Pfftt...a fucking break? Really, Riley? You give me the damn break! I'm a righteous asshole for keeping your butt in line? You fucking broke code and you know it. That's not all right under any circumstances, you motherfucker. I don't fucking care how fucking blue your balls get," Emmett spouted coldly.

"Hey, we're getting nowhere. Let's just admit we're all out of it and take this up later. I think after a good night's sleep, you both will look at things differently," Edward interjected.

"Fucking shut up," both Emmett and Riley shouted at Edward in unison. Edward just shook his head.

"Fuck that! She was throwing herself at me. Why wouldn't I want to take advantage of that? What am I, a fucking monk?" Riley retorted.

"Look here, you piece of shit...you do know that she was just fucking using you to try and make me jealous." Emmett clearly wasn't going to drop this argument until he got Riley to concede he was wrong.

"And so?" Riley spat.

"And so? You fucker," Emmett said acidly. "Let me spell it out for you. We had all agreed to the code and the point is we're suppose to abide by it. Fine, you want to go and break the rules, maybe I can excuse it, but hell, Ry, if you want to go and break code, there are far better chicks than that bitch."

"Hmmphh," Riley snorted. "I bet you didn't feel that way when you were screwing her."

Edward interrupted, "Listen, Ry, if you want to have Emmet's sloppy seconds than that's on you. But, I gotta agree with Em on this one, man. I wouldn't touch that slut's pussy with a ten foot pole. Emmett has told me stories," and Edward shuddered.

"Pot meet kettle, motherfuckers," Riley continued to shout. "Emmett didn't seem to have a problem with her until she showed an interest in me. Just admit it, Em. You're fucking jealous that she wanted to move on to me. That's the real issue here," and Riley snickered. Emmett got more heated.

"Why you fucking idiot," Emmett exclaimed as he once again flailed trying to get Edward out of his way . He really wanted to land a good punch on Riley's arrogant ass.

Riley could see that he struck a nerve and he decided to work it, spouting more shit about how Emmett was just jealous. Emmett clearly wasn't going to stand for all the stuff that Riley was spewing. Emmett knew that Riley didn't know what he was talking about.

Alice was still watching the scene before her, getting more pissed off by the minute. Edward was quickly losing control and the air was thick with the tension. He was starting to get a headache and really wanted to head to bed. He thought about just giving up and letting his brothers go at it. They both didn't want to back down and Edward knew that it was just because they were both pretty drunk that was causing them to bicker like cats and dogs.

Edward was so tired. He tried in vain one more time to diffuse the situation, "All right, I've had enough. Just stop this crap! Stop it right now. You're both drunk and neither one of you know what you guys are saying." He momentarily forgot that he was the one holding the two back from each other and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. It was a common habit of his, especially during times of stress.

That was just the opening that his two brothers needed. They both shoved Edward out of the way and he fell backwards disoriented. Emmett and Riley ran for one another and a shoving match began. Then both raised their fisted hands, ready to throw punches, and each braced themselves to take a hit.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Tomorrow will be Part 2.

Here's the tease for you:

_"Edward, go to bed. You look pretty beat. I can handle these two," Alice ordered._

_"Fine by me. You deal with these two assholes. I've had enough! Fucking good night all," Edward spouted._

_He began walking away as the the others silently regarded his retreating form. He paused to wave his hand goodbye, never bothering to turn around, then shuffled quickly up the stairs and to his room, muttering barely audible profanities directed at no one in particular all the way there, loud enough for Emmett, Riley, and Alice to hear. He reached his room then slammed the door shut._


	9. Chapter 7 Part 2

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Just wanted to say thank you again to the very talented, EmilyMarie15, for the beautiful banner she made for the story. I think she captured the essence of the story very well. Have you seen it yet? Link is on my profile and a link to get a hold of her at TwiFicPics, where I found her, is there also.

Still working on responding to reviews. So, if you haven't heard from me yet, I'm working on replying because I respond to each and everyone of my reviewers. I must say, though, that the new system FF has put in place to reply to reviews is a bit strange.

Lastly, just to keep you readers informed, I tend to re-read my work obsessively, so I will occasionally go back and correct some of my mistakes that I find in previous chapters-it'll drive me crazy if I don't.

**KEEP THE REVIEWS COMING**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: The Night Alice's Mission Began- Part 2<strong>

Alice had moved to the landing of the stairs to get a better look at her fighting brothers. They still were too engrossed to notice her. What she saw made her gasp to herself. This was her vision coming to fruition.

Before Riley or Emmett could land their fists, however, Edward had scrambled up quickly to come in between them again. He grabbed each of their shirts and firmly fisted his hands as a way of keeping both of them restrained. He looked from one brother to another, eyes blazing, his anger clear. A string of profanities could be heard coming from each of their mouths.

"Back the hell off, Edward! Fucking, let me go. Let me knock some sense into that shithead. It's nothing short of what he deserves," Emmett yelled at Edward.

Riley quipped back, "Go ahead and try you fucking cock-blocker." He struggled against Edward's hold on him.

While Edward was surprisingly doing a good job at keeping his brothers at bay from one another, Alice could see that he was getting worn down. Alice knew that Edward was the type to get very sleepy after drinking and he wasn't going to last much longer if this fight kept going. Alice could see that Edward was already debating within himself whether it was even worth it to stop them. Riley and Emmett had these blowouts before, there was damage around the house to prove it, but yet after they'd blown some steam off, they had eventually made up, albeit incurred some bumps and bruises.

Alice could also see that there was a glint in both Emmett and Riley's eyes signaling that they were aching for this fight and that they didn't appreciate Edward trying to stop them. Alice sensed that the two were just about ready to turn their malice on Edward, to get him out of the way, and they can move on to having their own slug fest. There had never been more of a time where she wished that her love, Jasper Whitlock, was here with them to help her and Edward intercede between the hot-tempered Emmett and Riley.

As the shouting continued, where all three brothers were berating one another, Alice knew that there was nothing left to do but get involved. With a deep breath, she propelled herself down the stairs, shrieking like a banshee.

All three men startled to her sudden presence. All their eyes growing wide.

Edward muttered, "I told you guys you were going to disturb Alice. Good luck with her." Riley and Emmett glared at Edward and he snickered.

"What the fucking hell is going on here? Fighting again, are we?" Who could ever figure that such a big voice could come from the tiny Alice.

Alice walked right up to her brothers, straightening up as much as she could to make her form seem larger than she really was. She glared harshly at her brothers, her eyes particularly blazing when she looked at Riley and Emmett in the eyes. The brothers were taken aback by her and so they stood in their spots suddenly looking sheepish.

Alice took Riley's wrist in one hand and Emmett's wrist in another. She dug her nails in causing Riley to yelp and Emmett to keep saying "Oww, Oww" over and over again. That was going to leave a mark on both of them.

Edward's eyes just grew wide again. He removed his hold from their shirts and stepped aside. Alice looked like she was on the war path. Tiny Alice was lethal when she was pissed off as hell and stronger than she looked. She held on strongly to her brothers, keeping them in place. Edward felt kind of smug that he wasn't the object of Alice's anger; he certainly didn't want to be at the other end of her ire right now and have incur her wrath. From experience, the brothers knew exactly how much wrath Alice could dole out.

"Edward, go to bed. You look pretty beat. I can handle these two," Alice ordered.

"Fine by me. You deal with these two assholes. I've had enough! Fucking good night all," Edward spouted.

He began walking away as the the others silently regarded his retreating form. He paused to wave his hand goodbye, never bothering to turn around, then shuffled quickly up the stairs and to his room, muttering barely audible profanities directed at no one in particular all the way there, but loud enough for Emmett, Riley, and Alice to still hear. He reached his room then slammed the door shut.

Alice then turned her attention back to Riley and Emmett. "If I let go, promise me you two won't try to pounce on one another," she stated, her voice lowered in volume in now, but anger still evident in her tone. It hadn't been a request. Both men just nodded.

Alice released her holds on their wrists. Both men immediately cupped it and try to shake off the sting of Alice's long, sharp nails having been dug into their flesh. Riley and Emmett glared at each other, but made no more moves to fight or shout at each other. In fact, at the moment, they looked like two school boys being chastised by the principal; their heads were down and they looked highly embarrassed.

Alice faced Riley, a very serious look upon her face. Riley tried to apologize, "Hey, uh, baby sis, I...we ...Emmett and I, didn't mean to...we're, um, so...," he never got to finish before Alice interjected.

"Oh, just shut up, Riley! Save it. I don't want to hear it," she snapped at him. Riley opened his mouth to speak, but wisely thought better of it. Emmett chuckled to himself beside Riley.

The next thing Riley knew he was slapped, and hard. Alice had raised her hand and planted it swiftly against his cheek. She put all of her force behind the movement and the sound reverberated in the room. A look of utter shock came upon Riley's face. He had been slapped before, but never by Alice. He started to rub his cheek, which was starting to turn pink.

Emmett began to laugh out loud uncontrollably at Alice's actions towards her twin. Both Alice and Riley weren't amused. Alice walked right up to him and looked him straight in the eye; her gaze so hardened that it was enough to stop him from laughing on the spot. Then she slapped him too. Emmett gaped in surprise. Riley looked smug.

Alice took a deep breath before shrieking again, "This fight is over you two! You hear me? There will be no more arguing tonight and there won't certainly be anyone giving a beat down except for me. This will be the last time you both fucking disturb me over something as obviously stupid as a woman and your sexually-frustrated libidos. You both are wreaking of alcohol, so I know that neither of you actually realize what you're saying to one another." Both men looked properly admonished.

Alice continued, "I told you guys, didn't I, that tonight was going to end badly if you decided to go out together. But, you guys once again failed to heed my warning. Well, fuck you both!" Alice crossed her arms and then a look of hurt passed over her face briefly before she steeled her look again, but Riley and Emmett didn't fail to miss it.

"Oh, Alice, we're sorry," Emmett said apologetically and moved to give Alice a hug. Alice pushed him away.

Emmett felt hurt, but he knew better than to push Alice. Riley looked sympathetic.

"Head to bed the both of you," she ordered. "I should beat the both of you myself, but its late and I've wasted enough of my energy on you two assholes. I bet tomorrow morning, you both are going to feel shitty as hell, so I think that's enough of a beating. Now, go!"

Both Emmett and Riley just stood there for a moment, a bit in shock over Alice's fury. Then they silently left Alice and headed to their own rooms. Nothing more was said or exchanged between them. They both trudged up the stairs heavily with Alice looking on. Two more doors slammed. Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like she finally exhaled a breath that she didn't even know she was holding. She then turned off the light and headed back to her own bedroom.

Alice was certainly a force to be reckoned with when made angry. Even if she was the only girl in the family, she never backed down from an argument with her brothers. She wasn't afraid of them and they knew better than to combat Alice. Alice was always going to win. It had always been that way ever since they were all children. Well, because Alice was always right. It was that damn psychic ability of hers. Who could argue with Alice when she had the power of premonition and foresight?

Once inside of her room, Alice cursed at the fucked up situation she and her brothers were in. Things had been nothing but tension-filled ever since the guys all found themselves "single." They weren't used to it and they were such practiced playboys that they weren't used to the lack of sex they were now encountering. The fact that they seemed to be striking out badly when trying to get new women made things even worse. Well, it sort of served them right-together, Alice imagined, they were responsible for sleeping with more than half the women in their city, and they certainly weren't the types to go back for any round two's. Wasn't it any wonder why they couldn't find any prospects? Alice was sure that each of her brothers had to keep rubbing one off, possibly daily, maybe even multiple times a day, just to keep themselves from going completely insane. Alice wasn't so sure that they hadn't reached that point yet.

As she headed to her bed, she passed the pictures of her brothers displayed on her bookshelf. Tears started to fall as she looked upon each one of their faces. She muttered a curse under her breath and with a defeated sigh began to slow her tears then swiped at them with her hand. She then immediately headed out of her room and went off to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, she gathered the ingredients she needed to make her famous hangover remedy. She made enough for her three brothers, gathered some pain reliever pills, put it all on a tray, and walked to each of their rooms. None of their rooms were locked, as Alice thought, and she was able to quietly enter each one. The light coming from their lamps provided enough illumination. All of her brothers were haphazardly strewn on their beds in various stages of undress, sound asleep, and snoring loudly.

Alice was careful not to look too closely at Emmett, who was sleeping naked. She silently thanked the heavens that he was situated in a way where at least his junk was covered by his comforter and she only had to endure a brief glimpse of his ass.

Alice placed her hangover remedy on each of their bedside tables along with the pain-relievers and a glass of water she retrieved from their en suite bathrooms. Then she proceeded to tidy up, picking up clothes that were left on the floor and placing them in their respective hampers. She tucked them in better in their beds, taking great care not to disturb them. Luckily, they were all pretty much passed out, so even if she had made a lot of noise, they probably still wouldn't have awakened.

As Alice saw Edward seem to struggle against a nightmare, she made her way to him, cradled him slightly, never disrupting his slumber, and stroked his hair softly until he calmed and the look of peaceful sleep was back upon his features. Alice may have been the youngest, but being the only girl in the family, she was always a bit of a mother hen to her brothers, whom despite everything, she loved dearly and unconditionally.

_Uggh...I should probably just have left all of them in hangover hell_, Alice thought briefly, but then shook the thought quickly from her mind. No matter how angry she was, she couldn't do that to her brothers. She could never be cruel to them, even though they probably deserved her cruelty.

As soon as she was done, she placed the tray back into the kitchen and headed back to her bed to try and get some sleep. She laid her head down and prayed for her brothers before closing her eyes. It wasn't surprising to her that her mind wouldn't shut itself off and allow her to rest. When she did finally fall asleep, her slumber was filled with the most disturbing of dreams. She woke up not too long after covered in a cold sweat. A feeling of dread washed over her.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** So how was this chapter? Wasn't it all cool how Alice got so fired up and was able to handle her older brothers, both of which had a considerable size advantage over her? Then wasn't it so sweet how she played mother hen to them? You see, this is my kind of Alice.

Anyways, tomorrow we find out about those dreams of hers that triggered her plan of action. No teaser this time. For the next chapter previews, sometimes I'll give you teasers and sometimes I'll just be doing this and telling you what's coming up (much like what I did with the introductory chapters).


	10. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Warning-There are admittedly going to be sensitive and disturbing subjects broached here and possibly equally upsetting graphic images conjured up. By no means am I intending to make light of these extremely serious situations. But, I will make no excuse for what I wrote. It was a necessary part of the plot. You may consider it over-the-top; however, remember that they are contained in a dream, and sometimes dreams are extreme-the mind is a fascinating place after all. Also, remember that this is a work of fiction, and sometimes writing for dramatic effect is needed.

If its any consolation, I cringed greatly when I wrote this and had a lot of difficulty myself pushing through it. It is part of the reason why I am behind in posting this chapter (that and I was having an emotionally tasking day with my children).

With all that said, I now * run and hide *.

**DO I EVEN WANT TO READ REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER?**

**OK, JUST GIVE IT TO ME STRAIGHT IN YOUR REVIEW**

**I'LL SUCK IT UP**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: The Visions Within Alice's Dreams<strong>

"_Silent Lucidity"_

_by Queensryche_

_Hush now don't you cry_

_Wipe away the teardrop from your eye_

_You're lying safe in bed_

_It was all a bad dream_

_Spinning in your head_

_Your mind tricked you to feel the pain_

_Of someone close to you leaving the game of life_

_So here it is, another chance_

_Wide awake, you face the day_

_Your dream is over..._

_Or has it just begun?_

Alice was a little girl, maybe only a child of five or six. She looked teeny-tiny in her pretty, pink-checkered dress with the big bow tied at the back. She always had been small for her age. Her long, wavy curls were tied in pigtails and flapping with the slight breeze. Her eyes were shining and a wide smile adorned her face, showing off her missing front teeth. She was looking up adoringly at the bright-eyed and happy faces of her three older brothers, who were mere children themselves.

Emmett, Edward, and Riley had the sun's rays beaming down on them, making it seem like they were glowing to Alice. She stared at them in wonderment.

They were in a beautiful meadow; it was lush and green, surrounded on its perimeter with huge trees, and teeming with life as birds chirped, butterflies flitted from the flowers, and chipmunks scurried about. Alice and her brothers played in the meadow-chasing one another in the tall grass, spinning in circles until they fell down during ring-around-the-rosy, hiding amongst the outlying trees during hide-n-seek, and the boys wrestled in the lush grass while Alice rolled through the flowers. They were all having fun, being carefree and laughing boisterously. They were having the time of their lives.

Then suddenly dark clouds moved in from beyond the horizon, causing the sun to disappear, and the meadow to be shrouded in darkness. Alice eyes widened as the meadow became engulfed in the storm. The wind became very violent causing the tall grass to bend and bow, the petals of flowers to rip off, and the trees to shudder and lose its leaves. Wildlife ran to take cover. A torrent of rain fell from the darkened sky above. Things had changed so quickly.

Alice then found herself alone in the meadow. Where were her brothers? They were nowhere to be found. Alice was scared and she called out to them; however, there were no answers and Alice was completely alone. She wandered about the meadow, searching for them, and finding no trace of them.

Then a small tornado came and swept up little Alice in its whirlwind. Alice called out for help, but there was no one to heed her call. As she spun in the depths of the tornado, she felt largely like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. She was finally dropped by the tornado at the entrance of a poorly illuminated alleyway, bewildered but unscathed. She was adult Alice now.

Alice walked cautiously into the alley, wary of what she might find. She walked a little further in to find her three brothers cowering in a corner. She called out to them, but they didn't hear her. She then noticed that they were completely surrounded by women, lots of them, various faces, some of which she recognized as women of their pasts, including some of the girls that she used to be friends with. They were an angry mob ready to attack her brothers. Alice again called out, but it was as if she was just a ghost.

Then just as the mob enclosed on her brothers, the scene changed again. A hole in the ground swallowed Alice up and she fell endlessly down an abyss until she was deposited into an unfamiliar hallway with opened doors to rooms.

Alice walked down the hall and looked inside the first opened room, curiosity getting the best of her. She saw Emmett laying in what looked to be a hospital bed. In fact, Alice seemed to have found herself in a hospital.

Emmett was very sick, pale and weak, opened sores riddled his body; it looked like he was barely hanging onto life. Alice drew a sharp breath in as she saw her once virile brother looking so frail. He really didn't look like the Emmett she remembered. Emmett didn't seem to notice her standing over his hospital bed. Maybe she was just an apparition.

Emmett looked up to the ceiling, his eyes vacant, then he inhaled a deep breath before closing his eyes and the shrill sound of the machines by his bedside filled the room. Alice moved to a dark corner of the room in tears as she watched doctors and nurses rushing in the room for a code blue. A paper flew in Alice's direction and she caught it. Taking a look at the piece of paper, she found it to be a death certificate, Emmett's to be exact, and under cause of death, four ominous letters: AIDS.

"It seemed Emmett's overly love of women led him to one wrong woman, which he was reckless and impulsive with, and he was forever affected by that one night. One night of passion ended his life," a deep, narrative voice echoed inside Alice's mind. Alice felt utter disbelief at what she just encountered and ran from the room in complete shock.

She ended up fleeing into another room and this time it was Edward that she saw inside. It looked to be a dingy hotel room that he was in-filth covering the walls, the carpet stained, and the sheets dirtied and messy. Edward was seemingly drunk and passed out on the mattress, an empty bottle of vodka clutched to his chest. Alice took a hard look around and found the room littered with empty bottles of hard liquor. He seemed to be drinking himself into oblivion.

Edward didn't look anything like himself. He was considerably thinner, but his belly was bloated from too much drink. Gone was his lean, chiseled form. He looked considerably aged, even though Alice figured him to be only ten years older than he was now-mid 30's maybe; however, he looked closer to mid-40's, especially with the few days of beard growth he was sporting. His skin was sallow and he had dark circles and bags under his eyes, even though Alice could guess that Edward had been drinking himself into a stupor then sleeping it off most every night. The one thing that hadn't change was that Edward's hair was still a riotous mess.

Another piece of paper flitted over to Alice, seemingly out of nowhere, as she stood over Edward's lifeless body, which without Alice even realizing what had happened, now laid inside a casket. It was Edward's death certificate in her hands and the cause of death read: heart failure and cirrhosis of the liver.

The same narrative voice from before entered into Alice's consciousness, "It's unknown whether Edward drank himself to death because of the loss of a love, or whether it was due to feelings of loneliness. Either way, he had finally made a commitment to a constant companion, the bottle. But, it was this companion that cost him everything, including his life."

"Stupid narration," Alice muttered to herself. "Captain Obvious," she continued. Alice wanted to kick and scream, but she seemed to have no control over her limbs nor did she have any voice. Alice was able to run, however, and so she did. Again, she was in shock over what she had seen and couldn't imagine any of it to be real, but it all looked and felt very real.

By now, Alice knew where she was running to-the last opened room in the hallway. She had a good idea what she would find there. This time she found herself inside Riley's bedroom, finally someplace familiar to Alice.

The room was softly illuminated with candlelight and Alice could hear the muted sounds of people in the room with her. Actually, she distinctly heard moans, groans, a growl, and the sounds of skin slapping on skin. It could only be the noises of people fucking.

How very typical for Riley, Alice thought. Sure enough, Riley emerged from underneath the covers, a look of pure ecstasy upon his face.

Without warning, the door to the room burst open, taking Riley and his lover by surprise. A crazed looking woman emerged from out of the shadows wielding a gun. Alice yelled, but of course she wasn't heard. She tried to reach out for a phone to call for help, but the phone seemed to move further and further away from her hand. She ran towards Riley, her legs feeling like it was made of Jello, and Riley seeming like he was miles away. When she finally reached him, she just passed through, exactly like a ghost.

It was happening all so fast, yet it still seemed as if the scene playing before Alice was occurring in slow motion. Riley pleaded with the woman as best he could, while his lover recoiled behind him. He was having no effect. The woman was crying, yet had a look of determination upon her face.

Alice tried to plead for her brother's life too, but it was useless. She wasn't actually there, just a ghostly version of herself made to observe. No damn piece of paper or narrative voice needed. The message was loud and clear. Alice jolted awake to the sound of three gunshots.

Alice sat up in bed trying to catch her breath and erase the flashing images out of her mind. As hard as she closed her eyes, she couldn't shake the visions. There was also a new image replaying itself over and over in her head, as if it was added to her dream slide show. It was that of her standing over three gravestones side-by-side, the names of one of her brothers elegantly etched into the stone, and in the background the same mob of ladies from earlier in the dream were laughing and celebrating uproariously.

It was just a dream, Alice repeated as a mantra. However, she couldn't help the feeling of dread washing over her and taking up residence. She bolted from her room and ran to each of her brothers' rooms to check on them. She needed to see with her own eyes that they were all alive and well. They were all still fast asleep and breathing. Alice sighed in relief as she exited Riley's room and closed the door quietly.

Alice knew that she couldn't get back to sleep after that nightmare. She was too high-strung. Dawn was starting to break and so Alice headed for the kitchen; it was her haven.

As a chef, Alice always kept the kitchen well-stocked and had everything she needed to create the fanciest of meals. She gathered a ton of ingredients and began to cook. She cooked up a storm, since cooking was a major stress reliever for her. Alice loved to cook, it was her passion. As she chopped, mixed, and flambéed, she was temporarily able to push the disturbing images from her mind.

By the time Alice was through, it was already mid-morning and she had cooked enough food to feed an army. She sighed, knowing that she once again got carried away, as she tended to do.

As expected, none of her brothers had awoken yet, and Alice didn't think that any of them would actually get up before noon. Alice checked the clock on the wall and realized that she had just enough time to catch the late mass at church.

She set aside enough food to feed her brothers, placing them in buffet servers that she set along the island, keeping the food warm until they were to wake and eat. She penned some instructions for her brothers for the food and left it in plain view by the servers. She then packed up the rest of the massive meal, placing some in the fridge or freezer to be saved to eat later, and what was left over she readied to take and donate to the church food bank. It made her feel good to know that she was going to help provide a nice meal to the elderly, needy families, and homeless people that the church regularly fed in their little cafeteria on Sundays.

Alice went back to her room after the kitchen clean-up, showered, and started getting dressed for church. As she passed her brothers' photographs again, an idea sprang to her mind. At first, she ignored it, but as she continued to get herself ready, the idea kept nagging at her.

Was it really possible for her to change her three brothers' womanizing ways and find them love? Having them fall in love would surely change the situation they were in now, on the verge of a complete meltdown. Their attentions would certainly be focused on the new women in their life. Alice knew that they didn't seem to have any luck in finding love; it was why they were still all single and living the lives of playboys. Alice greatly believed that one good woman was all they needed to turn their lives around, and in the moment, they hadn't been exactly dating the best of women. Who better to matchmake them to the right women than her? It was going to be a tremendous task and would certainly be an overwhelming undertaking for her. However, Alice never backed down from a challenge. If she put her mind to it, she had no doubt that she could accomplish great things with her new mission. Her decision was made. As if she really had any other choice.

As she put her high heels on her feet, she went about her room gathering the things she would need for the rest of the day, including packing an overnight bag with a change of clothes for after church and for even later than that. She had no illusions that it wasn't going to be a long day of research and planning for her new mission at the library. She would just crash later at the nearby apartment that Emmett owned and she had a key to.

Alice was going to do it. She was going to embark on this mission that could forever change her brothers' lives. She knew that she was technically meddling, but she fully hoped that the end would justify the means. Unfortunately, she had no way yet of predicting whether her mission would succeed. A lot of her ability centered on decisions that were made in order to set things happening in motion. It couldn't be more clear to Alice, however, that she needed to change the path of her brothers' futures. Their lives depended on it. If she did nothing, then her nightmare was what she could expect to happen. Alice knew that she was sent that terrible dream for a purpose; it was a warning and just the catalyst she needed for her to do something.

As she loaded all the things into her car then drove off to church, she felt much lighter than when she first woke up from her nightmare. With newfound determination, she couldn't wait to start her mission.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** It wasn't too bad for you readers, I hope. We did end on a bright note, if that makes up for anything.

Chapter 9 teaser:

"_You better fucking make me believe that you're not with that asshole, Jasper. So, help me Mary Alice Cullen, I will race over there and drag your ass away from him. I'm sure Emmett and Edward will back me up," Riley exclaimed heatedly over the phone._

Oh! * cue suspenseful music *


	11. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Hey, sorry readers I'm so way behind in getting this chapter out to you all. I've gotten sick and being sick doesn't equate with being able to update exactly. But, I wanted to get this out, plus my beta gave back a whole slew of edited work, so I'm going to do updates today, despite my body protesting.

As a make-up, this chapter is extra long, but there was lots to cover in this one. There's a lot of dialogue too, though, so hopefully you guys don't find it too tedious. I'll try to have another one ready sometime tonight, but can't make any promises.

I got to be up and about today anyways because it's Father's Day and there are plans for the husband, so whether I like it or not, gotta push through. Anyways, Happy Dad's day!

**ADMITTEDLY, BEHIND ON REVIEWS**

**BUT I'M GETTING THROUGH THEM, HONEST**

**SEND ME SOME MORE ANYWAYS**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: A Brand New Day<strong>

"_Brand New Day"_

_by Albert Hammond_

_There's a brand new kinda meaning  
>To the words that people say<br>And for each and everyone of us  
>It's a brand new day<em>

_It's a brand new day_  
><em>It's a brand new day<em>  
><em>For each and everyone of us<em>  
><em>It's a brand new day<em>

Edward awoke to the early afternoon sunlight streaming from his window. Someone had opened his drapes and allowed the light to shine on through much to his chagrin. His head was pounding, as if someone had let loose a jackhammer in his skull, and he was not all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed this morning, or rather afternoon. He looked over at his bedside table and found Alice's miracle hangover cure sitting there waiting for him and he sent up a silent prayer of thanks for Alice to the heavens.

He quickly downed the concoction, still not even knowing what Alice puts in it, just knowing that it works wonders. He didn't really care what the ingredients were, he'd drink anti-freeze if he knew it would stop the pounding in his head. He took the two little white pills with water afterward, then stayed motionless in his bed, waiting for his hangover to dissipate. In a matter of minutes, he felt human again, and he leapt out of bed, showered, and got dressed.

As he exited his bathroom, he noticed that his room wasn't like what he remembered it to be when he went to bed. Granted he was pretty intoxicated, but he knew it was much more on the messy side and that he clearly had pulled off his clothes and left them on the floor. Edward figured that it must've been Alice that tidied up and again he sent up another prayer of gratitude.

Where would he and his brothers be without their little sis, Alice? Edward thought for a moment-probably at the ER all night with their mother and father berating them for having yet another scuffle. As drunk as he was last night, and as hot-tempered as Riley and Emmett were, if Alice hadn't been there to step in, the ER was the most likely place they'd end up. That, or jail for a domestic dispute.

Edward knew that he'd have to thank Alice profusely today. Emmett and Riley would be doing that also and owing her a lot more. Alice always made sure payback was a bitch, and there was nothing more that she hated than her brothers fighting and getting into brawls, no matter the reason for it, so Edward figured that Alice was certainly going to get payback from Em and Ry as a form of apology, besides them having to actually apologize.

Edward thought back to last night and what caused the fight to ensue between Emmett and Riley in the first place. Lauren Mallory-she was the bitch that had to ruin their good time.

He, Emmett, and Riley had thought to prowl one of their favorite clubs last night. They had all found themselves without a current girlfriend, and they needed to remedy that situation quickly. The club wasn't necessarily their favorite place to pick up chicks, but they were bordering on desperate at the time. It was the first time in a long while that their schedules allowed for some down time and brotherly bonding; or more like brothers playing wingmen, so that they each could get a girl.

All of them had been fairly busy of late, leaving little time for them to concentrate on their personal lives, and leaving them hurting for female companionship. None of them were used to being without a woman in their bed for this long. They were, undoubtedly, three highly sexually-frustrated individuals. On top of that, they all seemed to be off their games somehow, since they were each striking out miserably. The Cullen Boys were not accustomed to such disappointment.

Emmett, who could usually be with one girl in the morning then have a new girl by that night, couldn't find a girl to capture his attention. He either already had them all, they couldn't hold his interest whatsoever, or they weren't giving him the time of day.

Riley had said he would be having better luck if he was gay, his usual bevy of admiring barflies not biting of late-maybe word got around that Riley was a strictly one fuck kind of guy. His other problem was many of the girls he was meeting were out of the question.

Edward hadn't been fairing much better. He was also too immersed in his work to be able to troll for a new girl. You couldn't really meet anyone if you were holed up in your editor's office all day. For some reason, even Edward's regular FWB's, whom he kept around just for times like these, were unavailable to him. Maggie, he found out, was thoroughly pissed at him at the moment; he had no idea why and she wasn't in the mood to be talking to him currently. Senna was traipsing all around the world presently with her modeling gigs, and Edward wasn't about to fly halfway around the world just for a booty call; however, he was starting to seriously consider it.

Then there was their brotherly code-the pact they made that there would be no sloppy seconds for any one of them. It meant that any girl that had already passed through any one of their beds was completely off limits. They could certainly date a girl that another one of them has also dated, just as long as she hadn't ended up in the sack with them. Well, the girls on that list were few and far between, and so there was a lot more women out there that were on the prohibited list.

The boys all knew that they weren't handling their current lack of female companionship well. Having had no sex for this long had made them all distant, distracted, moody, and above all temperamental. None of them were very good to live with right now. Edward was aware that there wasn't much more Alice could take. She was going to bolt and they were going to be in big trouble. It was why they thought to have a guys night out. They needed to fix things. Their messed up situation had been going on for far too long already.

Alice had warned them it was a bad idea, but she didn't exactly stop them or give them a good reason not to go. They all knew she felt something off about that night, but they knew how her gift worked, and she had nothing concrete. They all decided to make the best decisions they could that night to avoid it becoming a disaster.

When they arrived at the club, it was teeming with women. Too bad, more than half of the women were one of their exes, considered to be a psycho-bitch and not worth their time and emotional stress, or was with someone else, and they certainly weren't about to hassle with another guy over their girl. It put a damper on the evening, but they still decided to try and have a good time. After all, the night was young and they could see that there was no shortage of girls that they might be interested in. If anything was a sure bet, all the Cullen boys out together attracted a lot of attention.

Riley's idea of keeping mostly to themselves that night and looking generally disinterested in the scene paid off in dividends. Instead of them going out and have to find and schmooze with the ladies, the ladies were coming to them in droves. All manner of spirits, phone numbers, and naughty notes were being sent their way. They had indulged a few of the finer ladies with some drinks, light conversation, and even a dance or two. They were confident that their lucks had changed and they were going to end their droughts that night.

That was until Lauren Mallory strolled her tight, little ass, housed in the shortest skirt known to man, over to their table and rubbed said ass all over Riley's crotch. Like the sex-hungry fiend he was, Riley didn't resist her advances.

Lauren was an ex of Emmett's, and while Emmett admittedly said that she was a good fuck, he also has the attention span of a five year old when it came to women, so she didn't hold his interest for long. Even when Emmett was with her, he'd heard that she tended to get around, but it hadn't bothered him in the least when he was screwing around with her. But now that she had her sights set on Riley and was trying to sink her claws into him, Emmett wasn't thrilled.

Lauren was apparently a vain bitch and wasn't too happy about being so easily tossed aside by Emmett. She was used to men pining over her, but Emmett wasn't the pining type. She tried hard, at first, to gain back Emmett's attention, but Emmett rarely notices an ex again. He's more like a big kid in a candy store with his women- too many other flavors to try to go back to one he's already tasted, and being the glutton that he is, he wants to try them all.

Lauren wasn't to be deterred, though, and strove to make Emmett jealous. What better way than to use one of his own brothers? If she couldn't have Emmett Cullen, she was going to have another Cullen boy. Edward was not a possibility that night, he didn't even look at her twice when she strode over and was too engrossed in a couple of brunettes that definitely wanted in his pants. Riley fit the bill and was all too willing.

Between the drinks that Riley drank and the sexual foreplay known as dirty dancing with Lauren, his brain wasn't equipped to give him the best judgment at the time. In fact, Emmett and Edward knew that Riley's head down below had taken over and started making all the decisions. The deeper Riley got with Lauren, the more pissed off Emmett had become.

It wasn't even the fact that Riley was suddenly forgetting about their brotherly code, it had more to do with the fact it was Lauren he was fooling around with. Lauren was a skank and a very devious bitch, and the guys knew that she wasn't really into Riley and was just using him. Who knew what she really had up her sleeve?

While Emmett steamed over Riley and Lauren getting way too cozy for his liking, Edward, on the other hand, was willing to give Riley the benefit of the doubt. That was until he caught Riley and Lauren sneaking out of the club via a side exit. Naturally, he alerted Emmett and together they followed them out into the alleyway. They needed to stop Riley from making a big mistake.

Fortunately, Lauren and Riley hadn't gone far, just a couple of ways down from the exit door. Riley had Lauren pressed up against the wall, her skirt was hiked up above her waist and her tube top was pulled down so Riley could have access to her breasts. Riley and Lauren were engaged in a serious make-out session and Emmett and Edward were undoubtedly horrified by what they saw. The make-out session was abruptly ended when Emmett saw Lauren reaching for Riley's zipper.

Emmett roughly pulled Riley away from Lauren and proceeded to lecture him right there in the alleyway, while Edward sent Lauren packing. Edward had made Lauren vow to stay away from them, or else she would be sorry. Lauren knew better than not to heed the threat. The Cullens were a powerful family in their city. After that, all other plans for the rest of the night were dropped, and they decided it would better to just head home. Edward called a cab from his phone and wasn't too happy about having to blow off the two, pretty brunettes that had his attention most of the night, and they were the ones he had yet to get numbers from.

Riley and Emmett bickered throughout the cab ride home and Edward had to pay the poor cab driver extra just for his troubles. Although Edward had sense enough to separate them in the cab, putting Emmett up front with the driver, it still didn't stop Riley from constantly trying to wonk Emmett on the head from his place in the back seat. The cab driver had wanted to pull over several times, but Edward placated him with promises of a huge tip if he just got them home as fast as he could.

Of course, the fight continued as soon as they arrived home, only to be stopped by Alice. Alice just had this way of handling her brothers, and they let her.

Speaking of Alice, Edward went in search of her, but realized she wasn't home. He figured she had gone to church, like she always did on Sundays. He headed down to the kitchen finally where delicious aromas were emanating from and was surprised to find Emmett and Riley already gathered around the island.

Emmett was stuffing his face full of food from the buffet servers. Edward figured that Alice must have cooked, and by the looks of how much she had prepared, she had used her cooking again to curb her emotional stress from last night. It was what Alice did.

Edward eyed Emmett and Riley warily, wondering if they were still upset with one another. It didn't seem like their fight from last night had carried over into today. For the most part, Edward saw them as largely ignoring one another. Emmett was keen on eating and Riley was quite occupied with whomever he was texting.

"Hey, are you two good?" Edward asked to neither one in particular.

Emmett answered with a mouthful of food, "Um, yeah, I think so. We didn't apologize or anything, just dropped it. But, I think we came to an understanding," he then looked pointedly at Riley, who just nodded back.

Riley spoke up, but never looked away from his phone, "Yeah, won't be happening again. I know better now."

"Well, that's something. Glad to hear it. We should just let it go. From the looks of this spread," Edward began, as he started to make himself a plate. "You guys put Alice through the emotional ringer again last night. You know how she ends up cooking to feed a whole village when she gets all emotional or stressed. We got to stop doing that to her. It isn't good for her. Plus, we've already talked about this."

Emmett and Riley just both nodded in agreement. Edward looked with amusement at Emmett who was piling more food on his plate. Emmett did always have a healthy appetite, but waking to a hangover in the morning usually made him have a more voracious appetite, and it was no different today. There was a lot of food, but Edward had a feeling that Emmett could easily finish off everything.

"What?" Emmett asked, indignant. "You know Alice's cooking is the best and after last night, I'm hungry okay."

Edward just shrugged. "Speaking of Alice, did either one of you see her before she left?" He inquired.

"Nah, we just got up not too long ourselves. You haven't checked your phone, though, have you?" Emmett questioned back.

"No. Why? Should I? A message from Alice?" Edward became rather curious now. He took out his phone from his jeans pocket and took a look. Sure enough a missed message from Alice.

**Betcha found your hangover savior by now. Brunch in the kitchen, instructions for reheating also. Ur welcome. Went to church like usual. But don't expect me back. Be library 4 rest of day, then crashing at Emmett's nearby apt. Closer to campus, y'know, gotta be there bright n early tom. Laters xo Al**

"What the hell? You guys got the same text, I gather?" Edward assumed. Riley and Emmett nodded. "That's kind of weird of her to do. Don't you guys think so?"

"Yeah, we thought so too. I mean she always goes to church and does whatever shit on Sundays, but today seems different. She usually always wakes us to ask if we wanted to go to church with her, no matter how hung over our asses are, but she just left us alone today. I actually might've wanted to go with her today," Emmett responded.

"Fuck me, that's right," Edward acknowledged.

"So, who do you think Riley's been texting with these past few minutes?" Emmett mumbled while chewing. "He's been trying to get some straight answers from our little sis. She knows we're not buying her story."

"Shit! You guys must've pissed her off real bad if she's purposely staying away. I told you guys this was going to happen. I mean, how could she be at the library that long that she'd have to crash at your place, Em? I know she has to get to campus early on Mondays, but she should be able to wrap up whatever she's doing and then come home," Edward voiced.

"She says she's got some major research to do and it's going to drain her, so instead of driving all the way back here, she's going to crash at the apartment. At least, that's the story she's sticking to right now," Riley piped up.

"Research?" Edward was incredulous. "Wouldn't her kind of research require a kitchen or something? I bet she's just fronting. You guys definitely made her madder than she's trying to lead you to believe. There can't be no other explanation. Did you two fucking apologize at all and say you'll make it up to her?"

"Why do you think I've been fucking texting her here for what seems like forever?" Riley said rather exasperatedly. "Getting nowhere, though, she keeps spouting the same thing over and over."

"Yeah, bro, Riley's been trying to apologize for the both of us at the same time. He's also been trying to coax what the real deal is out of her. Looks like he's not having much luck, though. We don't buy this whole research crap," Emmett added, chewing the last bit of food in his mouth. He was finally done eating. "It was never our attention to drive her away, especially when you know is just around the corner," Emmett continued.

"Oh, something is definitely not right," Riley stopped texting and put his phone down in frustration. "I'm not getting anywhere. She just highly suggested I stop texting her now, cause I'm interfering with her work."

"Instead of texting with her, why don't you just call her? You'll be able to really tell what's up from the sound of her voice. None of us has spoken to her since last night, right?" Edward said, trying to be helpful.

Riley came and slapped him upside his head. "What?" Edward exclaimed, rubbing the spot.

"She's at a fucking library, you idiot. You can't be exactly talking on your phone inside the library. If I remember, there's even a 'please turn off your cell phones' sign. Don't you think I've already thought of that?" Riley explained. He showed Edward his phone screen. "See, I've tried to ask her to go outside and talk for just a few minutes, but she's not being cooperative. She says she's really at the library, there's no conspiracy to be had, she's busy now, and we'd all just talk later on tomorrow. That's all we've been exchanging for the past few minutes. You know, for my twin, she's rather exasperating."

Both Emmett and Edward snorted at Riley's remark. They found he could be just as exasperating as Alice. It really must be the twin thing.

"Okay, I get the feeling that there's something more. Something I'm missing that you guys aren't telling me. What is it?" Edward inferred.

"We think she's trying to see Jasper again, or at least talk to him," Riley responded.

"No. Why would you guys think that?" Edward questioned. "That guy has been out of her life for a while. There's been no contact. She knows how we feel about him. She wouldn't do that, would she?"

"The thing is, he's tried to get a hold of her lately," Emmett responded.

"What?" Edward exclaimed, surprised. "This is the first I've heard of this. How do you guys know?"

"He hasn't gotten in touch with her personally, yet. At least, not that we know of, but I caught a message from him on the machine, which I erased of course," Emmett explained.

"But, we aren't exactly sure she hadn't heard it before Emmett got to it," Riley interjected. He continued, "And the other day, a guy tried to deliver flowers and a message to her from him. Thankfully, she wasn't home, and I got rid of the thing, but apart from those two times we've intercepted, there's no way of us really knowing if they're talking again or whatever. She knows how we feel, but it doesn't mean she feels the same way now. She's still in love with the guy. We all know that. Would it be far-fetched to think that Alice would be hiding from us any contact she's had with him? Especially knowing that we don't approve."

Edward ran a hand through his floppy mane. This really was the first he'd heard of their ex-friend, Jasper, trying to contact Alice again. "Shit," he uttered. "Where the hell have I been?"

"At your editor's," Emmett pointed out. Edward just rolled his eyes at him.

"What?" Emmett wanted to know what the deal was.

"Never mind. So, you guys think she's using this library thing and then off to Em's apartment as a roost?" Edward questioned.

"Yeah, don't you think so? Now that you know what's up. I just wish I could actually get to talk to her. There's certain stuff you just can't communicate right through text and I'd be able to tell from her voice if she's lying," Riley stated, his frustration evident.

"Pfft... you just don't know how to ask her to call you just right," Edward stated.

"Fine. I'd like to see you try," Riley retorted back in annoyance.

Edward fired a quick text to Alice and within minutes Riley's phone was ringing. It was Alice. Riley was impressed, but he couldn't dwell on that now. He had some things to hash out with Alice.

Unfortunately, with the talk of Jasper still fresh on his mind, he already started things off on the wrong foot. "You better fucking make me believe that you're not with that asshole, Jasper. So help me, Mary Alice Cullen, I will race over there and drag your ass away from him. I'm sure Emmett and Edward will back me up," Riley exclaimed heatedly over the phone.

Emmett and Edward gaped at him, then both gave Riley a slap upside his head. As soon as the words were out of Riley's mouth, he immediately regretted it. He knew it wasn't the right way to have started the conversation.

"_What the fuck?"_ Alice shrieked on the other end. _"That's what we're needing to talk about? Fuck you, Ry. How could you even think?_" Alice suddenly paused and gasped.

"Uh, Al, I'm so sorry...that came out wrong," Riley tried to proclaim, but then all he heard was Alice hanging up on him. "Fuck, she hung up on me."

"Great job, Einstein," Edward retorted. "You just made things worse."

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** I know some of you have been looking forward to Jasper. Well, I promise he'll make an appearance in the next one. I've already left that clue in this chapter—ahh, spoiler alert.

And since I'm sorry for the wait of an update, here's a teaser too:

_Suddenly, there he was in all his surfer boy looking glory. Apart from his honey blonde locks being a bit longer than she remembered, he didn't seem to have changed at all in the year since she saw him last. He still had his tall, lean, and muscled figure, that devious looking smile as if he always held a secret, and the brown eyes that could always completely hold her gaze. In utter surprise from seeing him again after all this time, she dropped the book in her hand._

_He bent down first to retrieve it for her. "Here you go ma'am. God, it's good to see you again finally, Alice."_


	12. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** I know I'm behind, saying sorry probably won't even cut it. Blame illness, a cranky baby, a problematic household, and technical troubles. I'll stop talking and just let you guys get to it.

**ENJOY**

**LEAVE ME REVIEWS ANYWAY**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Alice's Massive Undertaking<strong>

"_Strength, Courage, And Wisdom"_

_by India Arie_

_Strength, courage, and wisdom  
>And it's been inside of me all along,<br>Strength, courage, and wisdom  
>Inside of me<em>

_I close my eyes and I think of all the things that I want to see_  
><em>'Cause I know, now that I've opened up my heart I know that<em>  
><em>Anything I want can be, so let it be, so let it be.<em>

Church was over and for the past couple of hours Alice had been holed up in one of the library's personal study rooms buried in all manners of books, magazines, and literary papers; practically everything she could find on subjects of love, matchmaking, breaking bad habits, the psychology of womanizers, and the list went on and on. Everything she deemed relevant to her mission, she was researching.

If she was going to undertake this mission of ridding her brothers of their womanizing ways and then finding them love with the right women, she wasn't going to do it half-assed. She was going to do it right and put a 110% effort into it, and that meant a lot of research and planning. She couldn't accept anything less than success, or else her disturbing dreams were going to come true. She needed to change the path of her brothers' decisions.

Alice had used her time in church to pray for her brothers and to ask the good Lord for the strength, courage, and wisdom she needed to fulfill her mission. She knew she needed nothing short of divine intervention in order to succeed. It was going to be a massive undertaking and she couldn't exactly get help with her mission. On top of that, she couldn't really confide in anyone about what she was attempting either and her brothers definitely couldn't find out what she was up to or they would resist her meddling at every turn. Alice had to be both discreet and careful.

Alice did confide to Father Marcus about her mission, though. However, he's a priest and Alice knew that he'd keep the information she gave him under strict confidence.

By the time she had arrived at church, she still wasn't sure if she was going to be doing the right thing, launching into her mission and meddling into her brothers' personal lives like she intended, and she needed both someone to talk to and get advice from. Father Marcus was the ideal confidante and she told him everything-about her brothers' histories, the dreams, and her plans, during her time inside the confessional. While Father Marcus didn't tell her outright whether she would be doing the right thing or not; however, he was able to dole out some good guidance to Alice. He'd also wished her luck and said that he'd pray for her. So, Father Marcus was the only other person now that knew of Alice's mission and Alice felt a lot better about her mission after she'd confided in him.

She raced to the library and immediately commandeered a private study room. She opened her laptop that she brought with her and started a file for her mission. First, she brainstormed and typed out any ideas that could be pertinent to her undertaking. She then organized all of her ideas and created her goals. Before too long, Alice had an initial plan all mapped out. She then went in search of all the materials she needed for her research.

She dove into the books, magazines, and papers, quickly skimming for the information she would find useful for her project and took copious amounts of notes. Soon, the exact steps on how she was going to carry out her mission were being formulated. She approached this mission of hers as if she was tackling a doctorate thesis paper.

Being a culinary student, Alice never really had to do this type of research or this much of it before, and for her doing all this was different and stimulating, but tasking as well. She wouldn't let herself feel overwhelmed; however, Alice would be glad when she could get this part behind her and really dig her heels her in and start in on the tasks she needed to accomplish. She looked forward to meeting some new women that she could match with any of her brothers.

Earlier, she had sent text messages to all of her brothers letting them know that she would be spending the rest of the day at the library and then crashing at Emmett's nearby, vacant apartment, so they wouldn't needlessly worry about her like they tended to do. She didn't believe that her plan for the day would go over well with her brothers and that was confirmed when Riley started texting her incessantly. She figured they must have just awoken when his texts started coming in.

As predicted, Riley questioned her need to be at the library in the first place and then why she'd have to be there for so long that she would have to crash over at Emmett's place. Her brothers weren't stupid and they obviously weren't buying her story. Alice also got the sense that they felt, or at least Riley felt, that she was just using all of it as an excuse to stay away.

Was she doing that? She hadn't even thought about whether she was still angry or not over Emmett and Riley's fight last night, having become too preoccupied now with her mission. She had decided to crash at Emmett's place because it felt more convenient to do so then to drive all the way back to the house, especially considering she would be worn out from finishing her research and the long drive. She did have to be back on campus fairly early the next morning. Alice never realized the way it might look to her brothers.

Alice tried as best as she could to placate Riley through her texts back and ensure him that she was neither upset anymore nor was she trying to avoid him and their brothers, but Riley was being stubborn and would not just let her be. He was becoming very distracting to her work and she was getting annoyed because she had been making good progress.

He'd asked several times if they could just talk instead of the texting, but Alice felt the library wasn't exactly the best place to have the conversation that Riley wanted to have. Alice also wasn't in the mood to talk about her feelings about the fight or her possible avoidance of her brothers at the moment, being she was too focused on her project. Alice, sure as hell, didn't want to further explain To Riley what she was doing at the library. She hadn't exactly lied about being at the library doing research; she just didn't elaborate. She didn't see keeping her brothers in the dark as lying to them, just withholding information they didn't need to know, and it wasn't as if she was claiming to be somewhere she wasn't.

Alice knew if Riley got her on the phone, he was going to press her for better answers, which she couldn't give. She could make up a story about the type of research she was doing, claim that it is for a project for one of her cooking classes, which would probably end all the interrogation, but she didn't want to have to outright lie to Riley. Alice knew that he'd know by the tone of her voice if she wasn't telling the truth. She wasn't a good liar and Riley, in particular, could always detect when she was bullshitting. It must've something to do with their twin connection. He'd pry the whole truth out of her somehow and she couldn't take that risk. It's why she was avoiding talking to him for now.

She thought that she'd finally got some peace from Riley's nosiness after she'd sent a final firm-sounding text ordering him to leave her be to her research. The constant vibrating of her phone had ceased. She relaxed a little and continued with her work.

She had started a spreadsheet and was making a list of all of her brothers' conquests from memory and placing her own brand of commentary with their names. She was basically compiling data on the women who were wrong for her brothers, why they were wrong, and who she needed to be avoiding because none of their past ladies were matches for them; it was why these weren't together with her brothers now. The list was also data on what type of girl she was going to be avoiding.

Looking upon who she had placed on her spreadsheet so far, she actually liked about a dozen of the girls she had jotted down and they were close to the perfect matches she sought; however, she knew it would be fruitless to try and get them back together with her brothers. First off, some were already "off the market" so to speak, one even had gotten married since her relationship with Riley ended, and these were only those that she knew of. Secondly, her brothers would never willfully return to one of their exes-they were exes to them for a reason; it may have been a stupid one, but Alice would rather invite any drama. It was best to start fresh.

Her list didn't even encompass a third of the women that her brothers' had been with. She couldn't expect herself to recall them all, but she felt she amassed enough of a list to aid her in search for the right women. She could always be sneaky and look into their little black books (more like their cell phones contacts list) later.

Alice thought she was free and clear of Riley until she received another incoming text. She was about to shut off her phone, and completely ignore him, when curiosity made her glance at the text and found it was from Edward instead. She laughed at Edward's way of imploring her to call Riley. She caved in and rang Riley, having walked out into the nearby library courtyard where she'd be better able to talk to him. But, she wasn't at all happy with the first words that came out of his mouth over the line.

He had the gall to accuse her of lying and imply that she was actually using the library time as a roost to meet with Jasper. She was astonished that he'd even come to that conclusion.

Riley knew better than anyone that she hadn't had contact with Jasper in a year, since that fateful day he walked away from her and never looked back, after hearing her news. Jasper hadn't even said good bye and Alice actually never got the chance for closure. Initially, she tried to contact him, her brothers as well, since they used to all be friends; however, he didn't seem to want to be found.

Even with her ability, she could have never predicted that outcome. He'd made a last minute decision that changed both their lives up until this point. After the way he treated her and threw away their love so easily, it wasn't any wonder why her brothers hated him and forbade Alice to have contact with him ever again. She didn't know if maybe she harbored some of that hate herself. She did oblige though and she hadn't seen nor heard word of Jasper Whitlock since he'd left her.

Alice did know something about Jasper that her brothers didn't. She'd seen that she and Jasper were meant to be. He was the love of her life and their separation was temporary. She'd endured them being apart because she had hope that they would find their ways to one another again. They had a major hiccup in their relationship, but eventually that could be resolved. Them being apart now was just a minor stumble in the road on their path to true happiness with each other. She firmly believed that, but Alice was no fool either. It was going to take a lot of work to get she and Jasper back together again and right now she was going to concentrate on her brothers' love lives, not hers.

After what she and her brothers were put through with Jasper and all the love, compassion, and support they gave her during a very rough time, Alice certainly would never hide the fact that she was in contact with Jasper again, let alone cover up that she was meeting with him. She was appalled that Riley could even think that she would. They have had this conversation before.

She was thoroughly pissed now, and rightfully so. She was ready to defend herself to Riley over the phone when a shadow caught her eye, causing her to gasp. She absentmindedly hung up on him instead.

Suddenly, there he was in all his surfer boy looking glory. Apart from his honey blonde locks being a bit longer than she remembered, he didn't seem to have changed at all in the year since she saw him last. He still had his tall, lean, and muscled figure, that devious looking smile as if he always held a secret, and the brown eyes that could always completely hold her gaze. In utter surprise from seeing him again after all this time, she dropped the book in her hand.

He bent down first to retrieve it for her. "Here you go ma'am. God, it's good to see you again finally, Alice."

Alice politely took the book from him, careful to not touch any part of Jasper's hand. She hadn't even realized that she was still holding the book when she made her call to Riley. She nodded at him, unable to formulate words as awestruck as she was, and he gave her a sheepish smirk.

"I know it's been a very long time, Alice. Too long, if you ask me," Jasper began with that southern drawl of his that always did weird things to Alice's insides. "You may not want to have anything to do with me, it's understandable all things considering, but if I could please just have a minute of your time."

Alice finally was able to speak, "You've got 60 seconds starting now, Whitlock. I better be hearing an apology in there somewhere in that time."

"Why certainly ma'am," Jasper started. "First off, Alice, how are you? You seem to be looking well."

"As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. I'm managing and have been for a year, no thanks to you. 45 seconds left," Alice replied coldly.

"I see you're all business. Well, I shouldn't have expected anything less. You've been more than gracious and it's more than I deserve," Jasper continued timidly. "Fine. Alice, I'm so very sorry for what I did. I was a fool and now I am certain of it. I know my apology is still of no comfort to you, but I am being sincere. If it's any consolation to you, I've never stopped loving you and I've hurt more in this past year being apart from you than in my entire messed up life. I don't know why I'm even bothering to say this last bit, but I've got to say my peace now that I have this chance. I love you Alice, I always have and always will, and I'd like for us to try again. You know as well as I that we're meant to be. Let me make it up to you," his tone pleading.

Alice's eyes widened in surprise at his words, then narrowed. She didn't have the time nor the strength to deal with Jasper right now.

"Your minute's up," Alice said tersely.

Without a second look back, she hurriedly walked away back into the library and into the sanctuary of her private study room, leaving Jasper standing there. He made no move to follow her, for which Alice was grateful. She needed time to process what Jasper had just confessed to her. She had to let her brothers know that he'd made contact. Shaking, she dialed back Riley.

The moment she got him on the phone, she simply said, "Get Edward and Emmett and meet me here at the library now," then hung up. She knew that would be enough to get her brothers to meet up with her.

There was something in the way Alice had implored him and their brothers to come that Riley didn't hesitate to gather up Edward and Emmett and trek over to the library. They piled into Emmett's jeep, anxiously awaiting to find out why Alice needed them. They had a strong feeling it had to do with one, Jasper Whitlock.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Hmm...already working on the next chapter, hopefully finish by sometime tonight-baby and kids willing * cross fingers *. Now should we continue our little scene here, or should we flashback a bit to Alice and Jasper's story. Can't decide. Yes, I have two documents opened with drabbles on both. They'll both make it into the story, just can't figure out which would be next. Wanna help me?

Regardless, see you at Chapter 11-it might be the continuation of our little scene or it may be telling Alice and Jasper's story! Tee Hee—how's that for a preview?


	13. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Aha! Posting this with little time to spare before midnight on the WC. So, this is the chapter you get, the one that screamed at me the loudest today. Between the baby and having the rest of the four kids home for the summer, you can imagine there was a lot of screaming going on in my head today.

Hope you like finding out about what happened between Alice and Jasper. I didn't kill you from too much suspense, did I? And, yes, not the best of circumstances. Sorry about that. Admittedly, it's angsty, but necessary. Yes, Jasper is a douche bag, douche nozzle, jerk, decrepit individual-throw out every bad name in the book. Oh, but you never know, he might be redeemed by the end of this.

**MISSING THE REVIEWS HERE**

**SO COME ON READERS**

**TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK OF JASPER**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: A Flashback to Alice and Jasper<strong>

"_I'll Remember You"_

_by Atlantic Starr_

_Words have left us all alone  
>and somethings come between us<br>to turn the fire cold  
>Thoughts that chase you in the night<br>silently the storm  
>the life from in your eyes<br>and i remain alone, no matter who  
>may try and take your place<br>oh no  
>Chorus..<br>And I'll remember you  
>the dreams we could of dreamed<br>the tears I should have seen  
>we use to say forever<br>but I'll remember you  
>your pure and simple heart<br>your shadows painted dark  
>I will always love you<br>I'll remember you  
>Summer rain to fallen snow<br>We knew that it would last  
>but there's no way to know<br>it's such a storm that's in the sky  
>quietly will pass, quietly we'll cry<br>and here I stand  
>with every promise melted through my hands<br>And I'll remember you  
>the dreams we could of dreamed<br>the tears i should have seen  
>We use to say forever<br>But I'll remember you  
>your pure and simple heart<br>your shadows painted dark  
>I will always love you<br>I'll remember you  
>Oh and i remain<br>alone no matter  
>who may try and take your place<br>And I'll remember you  
>the dreams we could have dreamed<br>the tears I should have seen  
>we use to say forever<br>but I'll remember you  
>Your pure and simple heart<br>your shadows painted dark  
>I will always love you<br>I'll remember you_

_**One year prior...**_

It was quite possibly both the best news and the worst news Alice could've received. She never saw this situation coming. It was the one flaw she had with her psychic ability. She rarely saw visions about her own life, just that of others around her and especially those closest to her.

Alice hadn't been feeling her best and had to miss about two weeks worth of classes already because she'd felt so sick. She was weak, bed-ridden, and generally feeling terrible. Initially, her illness had been chalked up to the flu, but considering her past medical history, Emmett finally urged her to see their dad about being sick when it wasn't abating the slightest bit, despite various treatments. Emmett was able to do so much under his care. Emmett specialized more in athletic injuries, so he wasn't as knowledgeable nor prepared to handle Alice's type of sick, especially not with her known heart condition.

She'd finally acquiesced and consulted her father when it looked like she was going to miss yet another week of school. She didn't want to have to go to her father, since she didn't feel it was anything more serious than the flu bug, but she felt she had no other choice because she wasn't feeling better. She wanted to shake her illness and get back to school.

Catching up wasn't going to be easy after all the classes she had missed. Fortunately, her professors were understanding, having known about her prior medical condition and receiving the required doctor's excuse.

Alice's father was eager to assess her condition, especially knowing that she'd been sick for a while and there was an chance her illness could be related to her heart problem. Dr. Carlisle Cullen ordered a battery of tests, only wanting to discount the least probable of scenarios.

"You're pregnant, dear. I guess congratulations are in order," Alice's father calmly broke the news after all her lab results came back. Alice was in shock. Carlisle continued, "You've been sick because you have what's known as hypermesis gravidarum, basically severe or extreme morning sickness in layman's terms. I suggest that we find you an OBGyn right away and we can find out how far along you are and they can prescribe something for your problematic morning sickness. I'm not as familiar with those type of scrips, you see. We should also contact your cardiologist, Dr. Bewley and make him aware of the news. He'll probably need to work closely with your OBGyn to ensure a healthy pregnancy. You know there are certain heart-related complications that pregnancy can cause."

Carlisle still had more to relay, but Emmett rudely interrupted, "Wait, wait...hold up. Alice is pregnant? She really has a bun in the oven and that's why she's been so sick? Why didn't I think of that?"

"Well, son, it isn't a big deal that you missed that condition. That's why I'm here for backup always. You're used to dealing with male athletes, so it wouldn't be something you would think of off-hand. Plus, she's your sister. I doubt you could readily associate a pregnancy with her," Carlisle said understandingly.

"Gosh, you're so right, dad. Whoa! I guess me and the guys are going to be uncles, baby sis," Emmett beamed.

Alice was practically speechless. She didn't know how this could have occurred. She and Jasper had always been safe. She religiously took her pills and as added protection, Jasper always wore condoms when they were intimate. She thought back as to when the conception could possibly have happened. She couldn't bring up an exact time frame. Her monthly periods weren't regular, so she knew that she couldn't rely on that. It positively boggled her mind and she didn't know how Jasper would take the news that he was going to be a father.

Alice managed to utter, "I'm...I'm pregnant? How could that be?"

"Oh gosh, little one, don't tell me that you don't know? You obviously had some nookie with Jasper and one thing lead to another...," Emmett began, but was interrupted by Carlisle.

"I'm sure your sister knows the basics and mechanics of sexual intimacy, Emmett. No need to regale us with the details," Carlisle stated.

"But, dad, Jasper and I, we'd been safe, always. I don't understand how this could have happened. Are you sure there wasn't some mistake?" Alice questioned.

"No, Alice. With the test I performed, there are no false positives. And your symptoms fall in line with pregnancy and having HM. You're definitely going to have a baby. I can't wait till your mother hears. She'll probably be ecstatic," Carlisle replied.

"But...but...there's no way," Alice tried to rationalize.

"If it's the will of God, Alice, to give you a child, then who are we to question it," Carlisle proclaimed. "Having been a doctor all these years, I've seen the impossible certainly happen."

"With my medical history and my heart condition, can I even carry a pregnancy?" Alice stated incredulously.

"Well, obviously you can get pregnant. As for carrying the pregnancy through and how it might affect your heart condition, well, like I said, we'll need to get you under the care of an OBGyn right away and consult your cardiologist. Personally, I don't see why not," Carlisle responded. "I have a list of wonderful OBGyn's right here in the hospital. You can pick one you feel the most comfortable with. I'd be happy to arrange some meetings."

"Okay, that would be helpful. Uh, dad, you're not upset?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, dad, I'd been wondering the same thing. You're not upset about Alice's unexpected pregnancy?" Emmett also added.

"Why would I be upset, Alice? A baby is always wonderful news, no matter the circumstances. It's what the Good Book teaches us. Granted, I would have preferred that you were married to Jasper first before having this child; however, you're an adult and are free to make your own choices. I'm sure this baby was conceived in love and that is all that matters. I'm sure your mother will also be thrilled," Carlisle replied thoughtfully.

He added with a chuckle, "I welcome the expectation of my first grandchild, even though I am still too young for you to be making a grandpa. Eh, what can I do? Frankly, dear, I'm surprised that it wasn't one of your brothers that's giving me the honor. We all know how they are?" Emmett scoffed at hearing that and Alice chuckled along with their father.

"Well, it is unexpected and the timing leaves much to be desired, but I'm sure Jasper and I would be able to manage. Plus, I've got the support of my family," Alice began but Emmett interjected.

"That little bundle can count on me, Edward, and Ry that's for sure. We're going to be good uncles. I just know it. I can't wait for you to tell them," he enthused.

"That's great, Em," Alice exclaimed as she moved to hug both her brother and father. "Jazz doesn't have any family that could help, but we've got mine. You both are taking this much better than I could've ever imagined. Jazz and I couldn't ask for anything more. Now, I just got to tell him. Boy, he's going to be surprised."

"That's for sure," Emmett uttered.

"It's unplanned, so for certain he'll be shocked. But, I'm sure as the news sets in, he'll be thrilled. Maybe it'll even push him to do right by you now," Carlisle added encouragingly.

"Oh, I see where you going with that, dad," Alice said with a giggle. "We'll just have to see. Wait. I can't tell him just yet. I have to know everything is going to be okay first. I'll tell him once I have all the information."

"Well, that might be a good idea. A couple of days of keeping the news to yourself for now won't hurt. It would be better to be armed with all the knowledge pertinent to your pregnancy," Carlisle agreed.

"So, dad, could you help me find a good OBGyn right away? Maybe one that specializes in pregnancies like mine? I think I'm considered a high-risk mother, right?"

"Well, possibly so, dear. But, I'm not certain. Aside from the morning sickness, everything else seems to be in order with your health. I don't foresee a problem with your pregnancy. However, you're right to want to make sure and take all necessary precautions."

Emmett interjected again, "It's good to be safe."

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment before stating, "You know, I think the meetings with other OBGyns might be unnecessary. I know of one on staff here that specializes in complicated pregnancies, which yours might prove to be one. Dr. Cope is an excellent OBGyn with lots of experience and I've heard nothing but great things about her and her bedside manner. I think she may be just the OBGyn for you, Alice. What do you think?"

"Well, you've never steered me wrong, pop. I think she'll be fine. Could you arrange a consultation or something?"Alice asked.

"I'll do it right now. Hold on." Carlisle then made a phone call and within minutes, she was being ushered into Dr. Cope's office for an initial meeting.

The next day, Dr. Cope gave Alice a complete pregnancy physical and ran a few more tests. She got a consult with Alice's cardiologist and received Alice's detailed medical history. After a couple more days, Dr. Cope was breaking some bad news to Alice.

Alice was indeed pregnant and apparently a high-risk pregnancy. If she carried her baby to full-term, she ran the risk of endangering her heart and making her condition worse, and that was if she could even carry the pregnancy at all. Her already weakened heart would be working much harder now that there was a baby involved. Dr. Cope wasn't so sure that Alice's heart would be able to take the stress or be able to pump enough blood to keep the baby healthy inside Alice's womb.

Dr. Cope didn't not beat around the bush and told all the information she had to Alice straight. She described all of Alice's possible options. She also explained that she would do everything in her power and to keep Alice and her baby as healthy as possible and that she would work closely with Dr. Bewley to monitor Alice's heart to help avert any problems. Alice also had the added medical support of her father and Emmett. She knew that no one would let her down.

Despite the disappointment of the news, Alice didn't feel too upset. Now, that the news had sunk in, Alice knew there was never any other option. She was going to keep this pregnancy and try to the best of her ability to carry the baby to term. The chance to bring a healthy baby that she created with Jasper into the world far outweighed the risks. She would work with her doctors and follow her protocol to the letter, so that within nine months, she and Jasper would be parents.

After she received all she needed to know, it was time for Alice to tell Jasper. She was, admittedly, nervous about telling him, not knowing exactly how he might react. This was a very big deal, but she knew that Jasper loved her and she had to have confidence in their love that everything happened for a reason and that all would work out well in the end by the grace of God.

Alice had prepared at least 1000 ways of breaking the news to Jasper that he was going to be a father. In the end, she felt that being straightforward would be best, so she just blurted it out.

To say that Jasper was shock about the news of the pregnancy, especially considering how they took care to be safe, was an understatement. Unfortunately for Alice, Jasper did not take the news well at all. He had exhausted a myriad of emotions before finally telling Alice that he was quite overwhelmed by the fact he was going to be a father and needed some time and space to sort things through. He walked away from her that night and that was the last she'd heard from him for the past year.

Alice had wrongfully figured that Jasper just needed time and that he'd come around after a good night's sleep. He was understandably shocked and upset. Having a baby wasn't in their plans at the time and Jasper probably felt the pressure now to make them a legitimate family, which he was obviously not ready for. Alice could've never imagined that Jasper would run away.

Alice had tried to call Jasper the next morning and he wasn't answering her call. She'd left messages and texts, but still no response from him. After a couple of hours, she'd found the number to no longer be working. She decided to visit his apartment instead and talk with him face-to-face again, but when she got there, his apartment was vacant, most of his belongings were gone, and his landlady told her that his apartment was now being sublet to a friend of his. Jasper had left and no one could tell Alice or her brothers where he had gone. All efforts to contact him failed. He had just disappeared. There was no goodbye and there was no working things through. Jasper just took off and never looked back. Within 24 hours, Alice's world had turned upside-down.

Alice thought about hiring a private investigator to find Jasper; however, it was her brothers that stopped her. They felt that Jasper wasn't worth finding, since he obviously didn't want to be found. He couldn't man up for Alice and for him to run away like he had from his pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child was the ultimate act of a cowardly jerk of the worst kind. Alice could do better than a man who thought to abandon her and their baby, instead of doing the right thing. It didn't matter how afraid he was, how overwhelmed he was, or how inconvenient it was for him to have a family now. The deed was done and it was obvious to her brothers that Jasper made his choice-the absolutely wrong one.

Jasper used to be their good friend, but they had lost all respect for him after what he pulled. They knew that if Jasper Whitlock ever showed his face to any of them ever again, he'd get the pounding of his life, because they were going to defend Alice's honor. It was what brothers did.

For a year, Alice had waited to hear some word from Jasper. She didn't know where he could've disappeared to, but she felt strongly that he'd return eventually. For a year, Jasper had stayed far away.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **Incidentally, I am no medical expert, but hypermesis gravidarum does exist. It is an extreme form of morning sickness that require medication to abate; otherwise, you have it until you don't, which doesn't mean it would necessarily end after the first trimester. I had it with this last baby (first time I ever got it too). It's really a miserable side-effect to a wonderful event. I tried to do without medication at first, but after I still had it terribly at the start of my second trimester, I caved and got drugged up. That worked wonders. This was the reason I had a huge gap in updating my work for a while there months ago.

And, yes, heart-related complications due to pregnancy exist as well. My cousin suffered through the exact scenario that Alice had-I won't tell you yet how that turned out. And my neighbor was hospitalized a few days after her son was born because of heart complications—needless to say, neighbor won't be having anymore children.

Not that you guys didn't know any of this, but just wanted to let you readers aware that I am not making all of this up—tee hee. A big part of writing is to sometimes take real life experiences and place them in your stories.

What's coming up for Chapter 12:

_Alice sat back in the desk chair and tried to refocus on her project. Her mind was being traitorous, however, because all she could now think about was Jasper. There was so much more she needed to and wanted to say to Jasper, but at the time she just couldn't bring herself to talk to him. She was ill-prepared to have him waltz back into her life like he did and she was overwhelmed by his presence. She also didn't want to have a breakdown right there in the library courtyard, which would most certainly have happened, if she allowed herself to get affected by all that he said. However, now that she had called her brothers, Alice feared that she might never get the chance again to hash out some necessary things with Jasper._

_As if there was some strange or rather maniacal magnetic force that drew Jasper to her now that she was thinking of him, he had burst in and was now unexpectedly standing there in her study room's doorway. She knew that she should have locked that door._


	14. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Here's the chapter that answers more questions about Alice and Jasper. Warning: Some very angsty, sob-worthy truth is revealed. Bring tissues if you're prone to being emotional. Sorry if it disturbs anyone-wasn't my intention.

One thing I've learned from this exercise, I'm not really as fast as a writer as I think I am. I am in admiration of those authors that can embark on something like this and churn out chapter after chapter, sometimes multiple times a day without any trouble. I can get lost in the writing, and before I know it, too much time has passed. Maybe it's just too much start and stop, because of my household; it really is that way for me, most days. Or maybe I'm just slow-tee hee. Anyways, just bear with me.

**MAKE MY DAY WITH YOUR REVIEWS**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Truths, Lies, and Alice<strong>

"_The Truth"_

_by Good Charlotte_

_So here we are  
>We are alone<br>There's weight on your mind  
>I wanna know<br>The truth  
>If this is how you feel<br>Say it to me  
>If this was ever real<em>

_I want the truth from you_

_Give me the truth even if it hurts me_

Alice sat back in the desk chair and tried to refocus on her project. Her mind was being traitorous, however, because all she could now think about was Jasper. There was so much more she needed to and wanted to say to Jasper, but at the time she just couldn't bring herself to talk to him. She was ill-prepared to have him waltz back into her life like he did and she was overwhelmed by his presence. She also didn't want to have a breakdown right there in the library courtyard, which would most certainly have happened, if she allowed herself to get affected by all that he said. However, now that she had called her brothers, Alice feared that she might never get the chance again to hash out some necessary things with Jasper.

As if there was some strange or rather maniacal magnetic force that drew Jasper to her now that she was thinking of him, he had burst in and was now unexpectedly standing there in her study room's doorway. She knew that she should have locked that door.

They just stared at one another for the longest time, neither one willing to speak first. Jasper made no effort to move further into the room.

Alice remained seated, pulled out her cell phone, and glanced at the time. Her brothers would arrive any minute and Jasper couldn't be around when they do. Without any regard for the place or the time, they would hurt him for sure. They had waited a good long year to enact their own brand of revenge for the pain that he had caused her, not that she'd asked for them to enact any sort of justice. Alice knew she would be helpless to stop them, especially considering their tempers of late. Just the mere mention of Jasper earlier had Riley heated. She shuddered at the possibility of Jasper coming face-to-face with her overprotective brothers. Alice suddenly envisioned her brothers in jail for assault and battery. She had to get Jasper away from her now.

Besides, Alice couldn't deal with him now. They had much to talk about, but it was neither the time nor the place.

She finally stood and broke the awkward silence in the room, "What the hell are you doing here? You had your minute like you asked. That's all I'm willing to afford to you for now. Like you said, I was more than gracious. Get out."

Jasper narrowed his eyes and straightened his form to stand as tall as he can be, "Alice, you can't expect me to stand for that."

"Oh yes, I do," Alice quickly spat back. "You walked out on me without explanation. You left when I needed you most, Jasper. You abandoned me and our unborn child, so I don't think you get a say as to whether I want to talk to you now or not. And the answer is no. This is neither the time nor the place, Jasper."

"But, I think it is. Look, I know it must've been a shock to have run into me like this. Frankly, I never expected to see you here at the library either. Now, we're here and there's no perfect time like the present to talk. You can't deny that there's a lot we have to discuss. My apology, my confession...well, that doesn't even begin to cover things."

"I understand that, but...," Alice tried to say. Jasper kept on, though.

"No, I don't think you understand. Alice, if you must know, after you left me standing there in the courtyard, I debated within myself whether to come after you at all. I guess I deserved you leaving me coldly like that after what I had done. But then I realized that this may be my only chance to talk to you...to explain myself, so I scoured this library to find you. I was never more grateful to find you alone in this study room. I figured if you could just hear me out."

Alice interrupted, "You don't have to explain anything to me, Jasper. You've made yourself perfectly clear a year ago and just the fact that you thought to stay away all this time with absolutely no contact... well, that says a lot."

"I guess I deserved that," Jasper acknowledged. "Please, just don't hold that against me. I...I was fucked up back then. I didn't know what I was doing. I'm here now. There's so much we need to talk about."

"Like I said this is neither the time or place. Besides that, I'm just not ready. You shouldn't push." Alice glanced at the time again. She need to hurry Jasper on out of here.

"Then when, Alice?" Jasper said hotly. "I'm not trying to push. I don't think anybody would be prepared to run into their ex like this and hash out some things, but it's got to be done. I actually don't see a better time or place. Despite everything, I thought that you'd want to hash out some things with me, but instead you've been avoiding me. This avoidance...it isn't you, Alice. You tackled things straight-on, whether you are ready or not. You wouldn't have passed up this chance to rip into me, if you are so inclined."

"Oh, Jasper, I let go of my anger a long time ago, so there would be no ripping going on now or otherwise," Alice said thoughtfully. "You...you've caught me off-guard. I agree that we have to talk and there's much that we both probably have to say. I'm just saying I'm not ready for us to have that conversation yet. I still need time. You can't expect me to just drop everything now. And I especially can't have us be talking like this when my brothers could walk in at any minute. If you must know the truth, I'm only trying to get rid of you so you can avoid them."

"You've blocked me at every other turn, Alice. I'm taking this opportunity while I can. I don't care if they're coming. Let them come. I can stand up for myself. I'm not afraid of them," Jasper replied, his voice full of determination.

"Every other turn?" Alice questioned.

The next thing Alice knew Jasper let out an "oomph" and then he was pressed face first against the wall, his arms bent at his back, and he was being restrained by Riley and Edward. Their eyes were ablaze with anger. Emmett was then shielding her view and he held a rather smug look on his face.

"You're not afraid of us. Well, you should be, fucker," Alice heard Riley say.

Jasper just struggled and spluttered. With the way Riley and Edward had him held, he couldn't even speak, let alone move.

Alice moved from aside Emmett and around the table. "Stop this...please stop this now. You are in a library for godssakes. I would prefer not to be banned from this establishment. Let him go."

"You've got some explaining to do, little sis," Emmett declared.

"Oh, for pete's sake," Alice exclaimed. "Let Jasper go first and let him get out of here. I can't...I don't want to deal with him or all this now."

She gave an imploring look to her brothers. Riley and Edward hesitated, but they let loose their hold on Jasper. Jasper turned around, only to be shoved by Edward back against the wall. Riley and Edward held Jasper in place, but at least Jasper could speak now.

"It...it took me long enough to get a hold of you, Alice. I'm not leaving until we talk some things out." Jasper asserted.

"I thought I heard Alice say that she didn't want to talk to you right now," Emmett gritted out from clenched teeth, as he glared daggers over at Jasper.

"What the hell is he even doing here, Al?" Riley asked. "You said over the phone that you weren't meeting with him and I got the feeling that you were appalled that I even suggested such a thing."

"Well, I wasn't and am not. I just ran into him here at the library and he chose to follow me into this study room when I walked away from him," Alice explained.

"We needed to talk," Jasper added.

"So, that's how it is? You're stalking my sister now. You're really unbelievable, Jazz," Edward stated.

Jasper defended himself, "I wasn't stalking Alice. It's by pure coincidence that I ran into her here. But now that I did, I can't help but take this chance that was given to me. All of my past efforts have been fruitless."

"Past efforts? What are you talking about, Jasper?" Alice was perplexed.

"He's been trying to get in contact with you, sis. Maybe ever since he got back into town. We don't know. But, we've intercepted a couple of his efforts," Riley divulged.

"What?" Alice shrieked. She placed her hands on her hips, then looked to each of her brothers for confirmation, for which they all nodded.

"So, that's why," Jasper uttered, earning him a shove from Riley.

"Hey, none of that," Alice admonished.

An elderly librarian appeared in the doorway, staring down the scene before her. "Is everything all right here?" She asked, looking between all the men and Alice.

Everyone relaxed their stances immediately. Edward softened his look and threw a beaming smile the librarian's way. She blinked, blushed, and briefly turned her head away. Edward always had a way with charming women just from that smile of his, even if they were elderly.

"Yes, everything is fine," Edward said lowly to the librarian. "We were just having some creative differences. We let it get too heated. We're sorry. We won't let it happen again." Then he gave that smile again, causing the elderly librarian to once again blush like a young schoolgirl.

"Okay, see to it that it doesn't. We just can't be having disturbances in the library," the librarian said, trying to sound firm. She then made her leave.

Once the librarian was gone, Emmett spouted, "Damn, bro. Remind me to have you get me out of a ticket if it's a female cop."

Everyone else in the room just gaped at Emmett. He shrugged.

Alice placed her hands back on her hips and glared at her brothers. "I will deal with you guys interference later. I didn't call you here to beat up Jasper, okay. I'm not a damsel in distress that needs my three big brothers to come rescue me. I could handle Jasper."

"Then why did you call?" Emmett asked.

Alice sighed, "Initially, when he came up to me in the courtyard, I was taken aback. I called you guys without really thinking. I...I don't really know why I called you all. I'm beginning to see now that, perhaps, I shouldn't have made the call at all. I never expected Jasper to burst in here and I tried to get rid of him, but I see when he sets his mind to something, he's still unwavering. Now, look where we are."

"Huh, you really were in here doing some mumbo jumbo research," Emmett observed. "What the hell is this stuff about?" He asked, picking up a book of astrology and flipping through the pages.

"Uh, uh...," Alice stalled for a response.

"Excuse me, but there are more important things that Alice and I need to discuss," Jasper proclaimed, receiving glares from Alice's brothers.

"She's not talking to you if she doesn't want to," Riley asserted.

"Well, can I at least know about the baby? Will you allow me to see my kid?" Jasper requested.

Alice's eyes widened, so did that of her brothers. Of their own volition, Alice's eyes filled with tears and they brimmed over. Emmett immediately enclosed his arms around Alice and hugged her closely to his chest.

"Way to go, dickwad," Emmett spat.

"What is it?" Jasper inquired. He was suddenly disturbed by the room going silent, except for Alice crying.

Edward grabbed a small, blank piece of paper from off the wall, which the library provided, and an accompanying tiny pencil. He scrawled out something quickly, then handed the piece of paper to Jasper.

"Two babies, Jazz," Edward whispered to Jasper. "A boy and a girl, but we don't speak of them ever, especially not now."

Jasper looked at Edward, quite confused. Emmett was trying his best to comfort Alice, so Jasper looked to Riley.

"I imagine that piece of paper Edward gave you has all the answers you need," was all Riley said.

Jasper looked at the paper. Two babies names were written, their birthday and their stats, and then the name of a cemetery and its address. Jasper swallowed the lump that formed in his throat.

"Is this a joke? What's the meaning of this?" Jasper bellowed and Alice began to cry harder.

Riley and Edward looked to each other than nodded. They each grabbed Jasper by an arm and practically carried him out of the study room. Edward closed the door, leaving Emmett with Alice. Emmett was still trying to console an increasingly inconsolable Alice. Jasper was being hauled by Riley and Edward to a nearby, empty, study room.

"What the hell, guys? What's going on here?" Jasper was puzzled.

"Doesn't what I wrote down spell it out for you?" Edward questioned back.

"I...I don't understand," Jasper admitted.

"Holy shit, man, are you that dense? She was a high-risk pregnancy because of her heart condition. She took a huge risk by trying to carry the babies to term. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side. At about 5 ½ mos, they found that the babies weren't viable. Her heart was already working too hard and her body just couldn't give the babies what they needed to grow. They had to be delivered still-born in order to save her as well. We buried them at the Gardens of Peace and Serenity in their Little Angels section. Those are their names. If you want to see them, there you go. We aren't going to stop you," Riley laid it all out for Jasper.

Edward added, "We should also tell you that after you abandoned her, and she didn't see that coming at all, she went into a sort of depression, man. She couldn't really eat or sleep. She had to take a leave of absence from school. It wasn't good for her and the stress, well, it wore on her heart. She's still having a hard time with your babies' deaths. That's why we don't speak of it, really. She blames herself, you know...for them not being viable. We've all tried to tell her it wasn't her fault, her body just couldn't handle caring for a baby and two at that; however, she doesn't want to listen to us."

Riley continued, "She thinks that if she had taken better care of herself early on, that she might've been able to save the twins, but there's no way of knowing that for sure. Now, isn't it any wonder why we hate your guts and want you to stay away from her? After all you've put her through. I think I speak for Emmett and Edward in that we're barely containing the urge to just pound your face in." Edward nodded in agreement.

"It's for Alice's sake, though. If we got a hold of you, alone...well," Riley trailed off.

"She's in a very delicate way, right now, Jazz. Yeah, she rebounded pretty nicely from where she was a year ago. She's managed to stay strong, but we all could see that with the death anniversary coming up, she's starting to falter. She tries to hide it, but know better. You couldn't have come back at the worst time," Edward expounded.

Jasper pounded his fist into the table and winced at the pain it caused. He whimpered, "My babies...they're gone? I had a son and a daughter? Oh God!"

Riley and Edward looked upon Jasper sympathetically. What they divulged to Jasper would never be an easy thing to hear?

"I need to talk to Alice," Jasper said as he tried to escape the room. Edward blocked his way.

"Now is not the time," Riley stated. "As I look at it now, I guess you and Alice need to talk some things over. You guys need each other's support now in the mourning of your kids. I'll speak for my brothers and say we aren't going to stop you from talking to her one last time. But, you gotta give her some time and space right now."

"Agreed. We'll make sure she comes to you when she's ready. She'll arrange something," Edward added.

"Just don't go disappearing again," Riley beseeched.

"I won't. I'm back for good. I want to make things right with Alice," Jasper charged.

"That's up to her. But, apart from giving her closure, we don't think you'll be seeing any more of her," Riley affirmed.

"We better go check on Alice. Emmett isn't exactly the best one for consoling," Edward told Riley.

"Don't come to her. She'll come to you," Riley called over his shoulder, as he and Edward left Jasper to himself.

Out of earshot of Jasper, Riley told Edward, "Fuck! What I wouldn't do to give that guy the beating of his life?"

"Indeed," was all Edward said.

Back in Alice's study room, she had begun to dry her tears on Emmett's shirt. He didn't mind.

"Damn him. Always knowing how to catch me off-guard and throw me off kilter," Alice pronounced.

"Well, that's the way love goes, doesn't it? Why do you think your brothers have remained self-confirmed bachelors? It's fucking too much trouble. You would know that, if you'd come to us before you fell in love with that sorry excuse for a man," Emmett responded, trying to cheer Alice up some more.

"Oh, he's not. He's misguided," Alice defended Jasper.

"I can't believe you still want to stand up for the guy. Shit, never mind. So, back to an original question of mine. What the hell are you doing here? What's all this stuff?" Emmett asked pointing to the piles on the table.

"Oh that? Just a little project I'm working on. No need to concern yourself," Alice answered. She didn't exactly lie. She just didn't give the finer details.

"Okay, suit yourself. Are you sure it won't be too much for you? C'mon, Alice, you got to be realistic here," Emmett's voice oozed concern.

"No, not at all. In light of Jasper coming back, I think it'll prove the perfect distraction," Alice replied, a smile now graced her lips.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Try my best to have the next chapter up sometime tonight. I'm going to try and move faster, if my kids and husband are willing.

Chapter 13-We'll table the Jasper and Alice story for now. Back to Alice's mission.


	15. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** I know-UPDATE FAIL! Won't bother y'all with details or excuses. Just that I'm sorry and please note that my family has to come first and they're not exactly conducive to my writing. Well, I'll just let you all get to this chapter.

**SO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF ALL**

**ALICE HAS BEEN DOING FOR HER MISSION**

**TELL ME IN A REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: Change-Ups Ala Alice<strong>

"_Time To Change"_

_by The Brady Bunch_

_Well it's time to change when it's time to change _

_Move by the time come along for the ride, don't you see_

_When it's time to change you've got to rearrange_

_Move your heart to what you're gonna be_

It had been a couple of weeks since Alice had her unexpected encounter with Jasper at the library. Since then, he'd called non-stop, but Alice was still ignoring him for now. She needed more time before she faced him again, plus she needed to put all of her focus on her mission for the time-being.

Jasper had found out Alice's email and had resorted to sending her journal type emails as a way of communicating with her. He found it to be therapeutic and a good way to vent out all the feelings that he had held in for the past year he was gone-raw, without filter, pretense, or fear of saying the words.

His latest email relayed to Alice his first visit to their twins grave sites. It was, of course, emotional and moved Alice to tears. He'd wished that she would have been there with him, but hopes that they could go together one day soon. Alice didn't know about that. Visiting her babies final resting places was deeply emotional and personal for her and she never had never thought to visit them with anyone before-not with her brothers, her parents, or her friends. Even if Jasper was their father, Alice still didn't feel she'd be able to share the experience.

Ever since Jasper unexpectedly came back, and again Alice hadn't foreseen it, her world felt like it was off its axis. Despite the emotional stress she had, Alice couldn't even bring herself to cook out all of the stress. It was strange. Before, cooking was like therapy to her, but it didn't hold the same promise now that she had to deal with what she dubbed her Jasper issue.

Dwelling on Jasper's latest email had put a damper on Alice's day. She decided to put even more effort in distracting herself with her mission.

She was presently sitting in her favorite Starbucks, her laptop open to the list of potential obstacles she would encounter on her mission. She planned to eliminate as many obstacles as she could to make her job much easier; however, she wasn't so foolish as to think that she'd be able to control everything in her brother's lives on her path to changing their ways. She would do what she can, though. She looked at her list and continued to plot and scheme ways to be able to cross-off one more obstacle.

One of the first problems that Alice tackled was to try to eliminate as much of the possibility of female temptation from her brothers' lives that she could. She couldn't have them involved with other women, while she was aiming for a love match with another girl. She knew that this would mean a longer drought for her brothers, more sexual frustration, and having them more intolerable to live with; however, she saw it as a necessary evil on the road to undoing their womanizing. Alice figured that once they had their new ladies, then they can more than make up for the long period of having gone without.

Of course, Alice knew that it was out of her control if Emmett, Riley, or Edward met a woman they were interested in and pursued them, while she was still on her search for their perfect girls. But, she was going to try her damnedest to prevent it.

Edward was pretty easy on this front, since he was very busy with his latest book. He had already been spending long hours holed away writing or working with either his agent or his editor, who both conveniently worked from home as well. They had enforced strict deadlines that Edward had to meet, and Edward had a strong work ethic, so he wasn't about to miss his deadlines. It bode well that he was in a writing groove at the moment, which meant his student teaching and his classes to get his Master's in Education were taking a backseat until his current manuscript was a finished deal, and that was less for Alice to worry about. Apart from the occasional weekend clubbing, his only chance to get away of late, he didn't have much time for anything else besides writing. He didn't have much interaction with women while he was stuck trying to get his book finished.

Alice had made a quick call to both Edward's agent and his editor just to make sure that things remained the same way for the time being, which they assured her that things weren't going to change anytime soon. While Edward would make significant progress, there was still much tightening up of his manuscript that needed to be done before his book was ready for publishing. That news delighted Alice.

Undoubtedly, Edward's work was going to prove problematic once she'd found him a girl. When was he going to have time for her? But Alice figured that she'd just cross that bridge when she got there.

Alice also delighted in the fact that Edward was without his go-to friends with benefits. Senna was currently traipsing about the world, fulfilling her modeling obligations. A check into her schedule didn't put her back in proximity of Edward for another month, so Alice figured she had that amount of time to find Edward a mate. She would need to work that much faster on his account, because once Senna was back in the picture, all her work would've been for naught. But, Alice knew that once she had Edward completely fallen in love with someone else, Senna would be ancient history; her purpose no longer necessary.

Alice's look into Maggie, Edward's other friend with benefits, provided her with more good fortune. It seemed that Maggie had found someone special and she wasn't going to jeopardize her new relationship by hopping back in the sack with Edward. For now, she was feigning that she was mad at him to keep him away and so she was out-of-the-picture at the moment. Alice could only cross her fingers that Maggie's relationship works out, so that her arrangement with Edward would end for good.

Keeping Riley and Emmett away from temptation proved to be more of a challenge. Riley especially, since he was both going to school and a popular bartender. Both college and the club he worked were teeming with lots of women. A lot of these women, Alice suspected, were dying to get into Riley's bed, as much as he wanted to chase them and get them in his bed. This was going to be a problem.

A call to the club where Riley was employed to try and encourage his manager to change his schedule yielded no results. Riley was one of their most popular bartenders and the manager wasn't about to take a hit in profits. In fact, the manager wished Riley would just give up school all together, so that he'd be able to work more days and more hours. Apparently, the quotient of drinks bought by ladies rose significantly every time Riley was tending the bar. It was why Riley was always working their Ladies Night. Scratch that-this was going to be a huge problem and one that Alice hadn't quite yet figured out how to solve completely.

The most she was able to do for now with Riley's place of employment was to enlist the aid of three of Riley's co-workers and friends of hers at the club, who promised to keep Riley out of trouble with the barflies as much as they could, when they could. They didn't know the specifics as to why they were supposed to prevent Riley from taking up with any barflies, but they were happy to help out Alice all the same.

Raoul tended bar with Riley and he promised to do his best to get rid of any barfly in any way possible he found showing too much interest in Riley, including flirting like hell with the ladies despite him being gay, whenever they were on-shift together. As luck would have it, he and Riley would be working together plenty within the next few weeks.

Raoul, whenever possible, would also work closely with Jen and Kristie who are servers at the club. The girls had both agreed to having a little fun and pretend to be Riley's jealous and possessive girlfriends that would stake their claim on their man whenever they chanced upon a hussy interested in Riley. Of course, Jen and Kristie would have to be sneaky in going about this, so Riley wouldn't get wind of what was happening, but Jen and Kristie assured Alice that they knew what to do. Alice suspected that payback was a big motivating factor in gaining Jen and Kristie's help; they were just two of Riley's many jilted lovers.

Having Raoul, Jen, and Kristie help with covering the club situation with Riley wasn't much at all and by no means full proof, but it was the best Alice could do. She could only hope that the barfly situation would be curbed slightly with their assistance.

Alice also did manage to finagle a favor from two of Riley's closest friends at school. Adam and Diego agreed to run interference whenever they saw Riley socializing with girls from school and were going to insist on Riley having some guy time with them. Since Riley was without a gal at the moment, it was an opportune time to remind him that he did have male friends too. It didn't take much convincing on Alice's part to have Adam and Diego want to spend some quality time with their buddy, Riley. The two kind of resented the fact that they were constantly being passed over for a girl, so they were eager to get their buddy back for the time-being. Alice would be able to check in on their progress just by seeing how much time Riley spends with them, and for her part, Alice was going to give Riley a nudge by guilt-tripping him into spending more time with his neglected buddies.

It was time for Riley to do some male bonding, instead of his mind being constantly on the female persuasion. Come to think of it, it would be good for all of Alice's brothers to focus on some bromances now instead of romance; at least until she found them their matches.

Alice knew she owed Adam and Diego big time and she wondered what type of favor they would ask in return when the time came for them to collect. She could only hope that it wasn't going to be something she wouldn't be able to deliver on.

A and D, as Alice annotated them in her Riley dossier of her mission file, along with Raoul, Jen, and Kristie became some of the first of a growing list of unbeknownst accomplices to her mission that she was starting to gather up. Alice knew it would take a village to help make her mission a success and it looked like she was starting to build up that village.

Emmett was a whole another story in the temptation department that was extra difficult for Alice to take care of. It was very good for her mission that Emmett was a team doctor and his work comprised mainly of working with the male athletes; however, the damn problem was those cheerleaders and dance teams that Emmett was so fond of and always seemed to be around, as well as a stadium full of female sports fans.

The female sports fans, Alice couldn't really do much about. Emmett was required to be at all the games and the team practices. That was a lot of opportunity to mingle with those female sports enthusiasts and even at practices there always seemed to be quite a few of them hanging around. Alice could only hope that the Seahawks have an injury plagued season to keep Emmett fairly busy and inside the locker room.

Alice couldn't do much about the cheerleaders and dance squad either. She didn't have the power to change their schedules or keep them off the field and away from Emmett. She could only monitor the situation.

Alice was able to obtain the squads practice schedules and noted to keep Emmett away from the stadium during those times if he really wasn't meant to be there. After Alice looked over said schedules, she realized that Emmett had a penchant for heading into the stadium at precisely their practice times and Alice highly suspected that Emmett didn't really need to be reporting to the stadium at those times. The bright side was that Emmett had already dated more than half of the girls on the squadrons, so he wasn't going to go chase those girls again. That knowledge settled Alice's mind a bit.

Alice also enlisted the help of Dr. Caius, the head of the Seahawks team of doctors. He was more than happy to help Alice keep Emmett in line, since he didn't want Emmett's personal life to affect his work. Alice was surprised to find out that Dr. Caius was well aware of Emmett's romantic pursuits and his reputation around the Seahawks camp. Hopefully, with Dr. Caius looking over his shoulder, Emmett would behave himself with the ladies.

Alice sighed as she looked over the work she had done so far. She hoped it was enough to curb the female temptation situation for the moment. She had already begun to actively seek potential matches for her brothers, which meant she was making lots of new friends, but she hadn't had any luck yet in finding their potential someones.

In the meantime, Alice also needed to keep their minds off their sexual frustrations and vowed to keep them plenty busy so that they would barely notice. They needed to learn that their lives could be full without the rampant sexcapades. She wanted to teach them that they didn't need to have women constantly to survive, so to speak, which would later make them better boyfriends.

The boys definitely needed more guy time, and by guy time, she didn't mean with each other, hitting the clubs and trying to pick up ladies. Somehow, doing that always ended in disaster.

No, Alice wanted them at pubs drinking to how refreshing it was to just be hanging out with their buds again, singing, and playing music. Therein lied one of Alice's big ideas-get her brothers singing and playing music again. That would prove a great distraction from their overactive libidos.

The idea had popped into her head when she noticed their instruments out in their rooms one day. It looked like both Riley and Edward had picked up their guitars again and had been strumming it. They used to have their guitars packed away in their closets gathering dust. Even Emmett seemed to have banged on his drum set in the music room of late and Alice found he had a pair of small bongo drums tucked away under his bed. Alice imagined each of them jamming when they were alone at the house. They need to jam together, like they used to, once again. That would only help with her mission.

Alice wanted a lot of male bonding time for her brothers, just until she was able to introduce them to their girls. She pictured weekends of them fishing and golfing. Instead of clubbing, they'd be playing pool, darts, or having poker nights. She also saw them involved in contact sports and lots of guy time at the gym.

Alice didn't hesitate to start calling on the buddies and begin to schedule these types of _dates_. She began filling in her brothers' calendars, not only with outings together, but with their buddies as well, who incidentally all seemed both surprised and grateful for the buddy time.

She sighed again as her mind drifted over to Jasper. He used to be great friends with her brothers and would've been included in the buddy outings that Alice had orchestrated, if it weren't for him hurting her deeply by abandoning her and their future babies. Somehow, she had a strong feeling that Jasper could use the buddy time just as much as Edward, Riley, and Emmett.

Alice also thought it might good for her brothers to hang out with some committed, even married friends, just so they could see how good of a life it could be if they found the right person. Emmett had spouted that he, Edward, and Riley were self-confirmed bachelors and that love was just too much of a hassle and trouble, but Alice felt that they might just change their tune once they see how happy some of their friends are who have settled down. She had an inkling that with just the right amount of pressure applied and the right influences, that her brothers would end up wanting to get settled down too.

Alice also knew that she was going to start taking her brothers to church with her every Sunday. It would be good for them to gain a little religion and some perspective in their lives. Alice thought that her brothers could also learn to repent for their shameless womanizing and abhorrent treatment of women's hearts and feelings. Beside, Alice could very well find their matches from nice, kind, and church-going girls. Her brothers would certainly be better off with these kind of women than some of the skanks they had taken up with in the past.

As Alice continued to look over her notes, another idea popped into her head, causing her to smile widely. Some quality family time was a great idea and an excellent way to curb her brothers' clubbing tendencies. They wouldn't have time to even think about going clubbing if they had to be at a family dinner every Saturday night and then church with her on Sunday. Maybe they could even go to church as a complete family.

Their parents were only getting older and Alice was sure that their mom and dad misses them. Alice could tell from the sound of their voices whenever she talked to them over the phone and when she'd make her occasional visit. Their parents only lived an hour away and they didn't see their kids nearly enough now that Alice and her brothers were all grown and with their own lives to lead. Her brothers, especially, didn't go to visit the parents often. Alice didn't think that was right. Before they knew it, their time with their wonderful parents would have slipped away and they may all be filled with regret. Might as well make the most of the time now.

Alice was sure her parents would be ecstatic with having a weekly dinner with them; her mother would, above all, enjoy having more people to cook for again. Mrs. Cullen had a love for food and cooking that she had passed onto Alice. Alice knew that Saturday nights, the night that her brothers tended to head out to the clubs, was the only night their father was off-duty from the hospital. It was perfect. Now, Alice just needed to arrange it.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN**: * sigh * A backlog of answering reviews for all my stories. That's just the way the cookie crumbles. Getting to them, eventually. And if you review this chapter, I'll be answering you, too.

Chapter 14 teaser:

_Alice wasn't at all surprised when her phone beeped, signaling the incoming of three texts. She already knew exactly who they were from and what their messages would entail. She couldn't help but have a conspiratorial grin on her face. They were probably not too happy, but she'll be damned if she'd let them weasel out of their new obligation._


	16. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Just under the proverbial wire to post this today. I thought I wasn't going to have the chance to. I guess it makes you readers happy.

Happy 4th of July weekend to the American readers! Got any big plans? Me, I'm just going to enjoy the peace at home with my two youngest, as the hubby takes the three oldest on a weekend-long camping trip. Psst...that bodes very well for my writing. I also heard that it's Canada Day tomorrow, so Happy Canada Day for my Canadian readers. If I have any readers from our neighbors to the North.

A quickie shout out to my regular reviewers—you know who you guys are. Love you guys and your thoughts each chapter! Really does make my day!

**WANT ME TO SHOUT OUT TO YOU?**

**THEN REVIEW**

**PLEASE**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: Mom and Dad Cullen Become Unbeknownst Accomplices<strong>

"_Through The Years"_

_by Kenny Rogers_

_I can't remember what I used to do_

_Who I trusted, who I listened to before _

_I swear you taught me everything I know _

_Can't imagine needing someone so_

_But through the years it seems to me_

_I need you more and more_

Alice fished out her phone from her purse and dialed up her parents. It was still early enough that she knew she'd catch them both still at home, probably talking over breakfast. She pictured her dad with the morning paper opened, but still intently listening to her mom chatter about something or another, whilst both sipped their coffees.

After three rings, Alice's mother, Esme, finally picked up, "Good morning Alice, dear. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call this fine morning? Everything is all right, I hope. You don't need to cancel on brunch do you?"

"Morning, Ma. My health and everything is just fine and yes, we're still on for brunch. It's not why I called. Wait. You sound surprise to be hearing from me," Alice responded.

"Oh, do I? Sorry about that, dear. You have to admit, this is highly unusual. Calling out of the blue like this. It has been a while since you've done it. But, you know your father and I are always happy to hear your voice. What's up darling?" Esme replied back.

Actually, Alice understood her mother's surprise. It was rather unusual for her to call like this. While she visited with them regularly, she rarely called, unless it was on some really urgent matter like her health or to cancel on one of her regular, every other Sunday visits or the brunch she usually had with her mom on Wednesdays. She never really just called to talk. She hadn't even called to tell them that Jasper was back in town and they'd had contact. Alice felt a bit ashamed. Alice's parents were the ones that called regularly to check in. She realized it shouldn't have to be that way.

If she called rarely, then her brothers hardly called at all, if they even called. Alice wasn't so sure that her parents had even heard from their sons in recent memory. The guys didn't even visit their parents regularly like Alice did. Alice gathered that her parents might have a heart attack if any of her brothers were ever to call. She knew that they would never think to do so, unless it was an absolute emergency. It just went to prove how distant they had become with their mom and dad. It was time for them to reconnect again and that was why she was going to arrange the weekly Saturday family dinners. She imagined that her parents would readily agree and would probably be grateful to her for having thought of it.

Alice knew that she'd be throwing a big wrench in her brothers' normal Saturday routines. However, she felt that it was for a good cause. Lately, their clubbing had become just the three of them, since it was their only time that they had time off together, but trouble always ensued. It was usually like Saturday Night Fights over at the house afterwards and she wanted to change that. She was also free on Saturdays and her brothers would frequently toss her aside, no matter how she suggested otherwise to do other things, and that greatly ticked her off. So, Alice figured that these Saturday family dinners was just the thing that was needed.

"Aw, mom. I know I don't usually call. It's a bad habit and it should definitely be changed. I'm starting now. I just realized this the other day. I had gotten so complacent with having just our regular every other Sunday visits and brunches on Wednesdays that I fail to just call and say hello once in a while," Alice said sheepishly.

"Is that why you're calling? Just to say hello?" Alice's father, Carlisle's, voice suddenly came over the line.

"I put you on speaker, dear. I thought maybe your dad would like in on this conversation, too," Esme explained.

"That's great, mom. I actually wanted to talk to you both. Yeah, I'm calling to say hello. So how are you both?" Alice inquired.

"We're fine. Nothing is new from when you saw mom at Wednesday's brunch. Uh, excuse me for asking, Alice, but are you sure nothing is wrong. You can't honestly expect me to believe that you just called for some chitchat, especially at this time of day. So, really what's going on?" Carlisle was direct.

"Carlisle, are you being suspicious of your own daughter's motives for calling?" Esme said in a reproachful tone to her husband. "She can call just to chitchat, as you say."

"No...really, Alice. What is it? Something with your brothers?" Carlisle continued to question Alice's intentions with her call.

"Carlisle!" Esme admonished. To Alice she said, "Alice, darling. Don't mind your dad here. He's being silly. I think he needs more coffee. Really, your father and I are fine. Like he said, nothing much has changed or happened since last time. How about with you?"

"Things are, uh, fine," Alice tried to say, but her voiced cracked, betraying that she wasn't telling the whole truth.

"I knew it. I knew it," Carlisle chanted. "What is it? You don't just call to say hi, Alice. I know you well enough by now. Come on. Out with it."

"Don't mind your father, dear," Esme chimed in. Alice imagined her mom rolling her eyes at her dad and she couldn't help but giggle a little.

But Alice's dad wasn't wrong. She knew that. She did have ulterior motives for calling. Carlisle Cullen always had good instincts, and it was part of what made him a great doctor. His instincts were especially sharp when it came to his children. Alice tended to think that she may have gotten her abilities from his side of the family. She might as well come right out with the real reason for her call, but first she thought she should tell them about Jasper.

Alice sighed, "Okay, apart from saying hello, cause I really do think that me and the guys don't do it enough, there are two things."

"See...Esme," Carlisle said to his wife petulantly. "I told you...it's something. Our kids don't just call."

"Okay, go on dear," Esme encouraged Alice, choosing to ignore Carlisle.

"Well, relax, first of all. It isn't anything bad or like something really major. The first thing you should know is that Jasper's back. I had accidentally run into him at the library one day, a couple of weeks ago."

"Oh my," Esme gasped. "Are you sure you're all right, Alice?"

"Yes. It wasn't any big deal. We talked a bit. I told him how I felt at the moment and that I needed more time before I dealt with him and opened up more. It wasn't any big, dramatic scene or anything," Alice explained. "He's agreed to keep his distance, but he's been emailing me regularly. I've been open to the communication, but still am keeping him at bay. We haven't talked personally or seen each other since that day at the library."

"I see. I assume he wants to get back in your good graces?" Esme reluctantly asked.

"Yes. He's made no secret of it. He's apologized for making a huge mistake. At least, there's that. He says he's realized the wrong he's done and wants to make it up to me. I don't know how he could possibly do that, but that doesn't matter at the moment. He wants me to forgive him, which I already have. And, well, he says that he hopes we can find our way to one another again. Now is not the time, though."

"Well, we've already talked about what would happen if he came back in depth," Esme expressed.

"Yeah, we've discussed it to death and things are happening just like I thought it would."

"Does your brothers know about all this?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes," Alice simply said.

"Oh boy. Something happened between them, didn't it?" Carlisle concluded.

"No...no. Nothing like that," Alice corrected. "They had a run-in with Jasper, yes. But, it ended peacefully enough. They even told Jasper everything, when I couldn't."

"So, how do you really feel about this, honey? Are you sure you're okay with him being back and making contact? Do you need your mother and I to intervene? I know you have your brothers looking out for you, but we can still be useful. Is that why you called?" Carlisle's voice oozed concern.

"Um, I think things are fine with Jasper for now. I don't know exactly know how I feel about him being back yet, but the emailing is okay. We're communicating like we need to, but it still gives me the amount of space that I still need. At least he knows about our children and all that's happened since he'd went away. I'm handling things. And, yeah, I just called to let you know about him being back. That's all I really I wanted to discuss about Jasper Whitlock. I have something more important I'd like to discuss," Alice answered.

"Oh, jeez. There's more?" Carlisle was worried.

"Honey, just let her finish," Esme urged calmly.

"Don't freak out, dad. I just wanna talk about this idea I got in my head. It's not bad or anything heavy like the Jasper situation. Actually, I think you and mom might actually like this idea," Alice said cheerily.

"Oh?" Carlisle and Esme said in unison. Their curiosities were piqued.

"Well, I'll just come right out with it. What do you say to all of us having a nice, traditional family dinner on Saturday nights? Me and the guys could come there, or you could come to us and I can cook, or we can even meet in the middle at some restaurant or something if we want to be lazy. We could even rotate, just as long as we get together," Alice explained tentatively.

"Well, that sounds like a very nice idea, dear. But, may I ask what brought this on?" Esme inquired.

"Nothing much really. I just realized that we've become so distant. I mean, I visit, but it's still not as much as I could. And you guys hardly see Em, Edward, or Riley. I don't think seeing them once every couple of months is acceptable, especially when you just live an hour away from us. Come to think of it, I actually don't see them as much either, and we all live in the same house. I just think that we need to reconnect as a family and food has always been a unifying factor in our case, so the idea popped into my head. I know mom might like to cook for a whole brood of us again and I don't mind touching up my own culinary skills. I think it'll be fun. It looks like Saturdays is about the only time we all can get together. Dad, you're still off-duty from the hospital on Saturday nights, right?" Alice continued.

"Yes," Carlisle answered.

"Then it's the perfect time. We can start this coming Saturday. So, what do you both think? Good idea, right?" Alice nervously asked. She already sensed the hesitation in her parents. They hadn't immediately warmed up to the idea or they would've agreed instantly. However, she needed them to agree to this, or her plan was foiled and she'd back to the drawing board.

"It's a wonderful sentiment, Alice dear. We do miss you kids. And it's a nice idea to want to reconnect. But, we know you kids are grown and leading your own lives. We're not as naive to think that you kids would like to spend your time with us folks," Esme proclaimed.

That didn't sound good at all for Alice's plan. She needed to save her plan.

"I sense some hesitation, mom. What's the matter with my idea? Would you rather not have us around?" Alice sounded just a bit perturbed. "You told me just last week how much you missed me and your boys. I thought this sounded like a perfect solution. I don't mean to be blunt here, but let's face it, you 'rents aren't getting any younger. I fear time may run out." Alice was pulling out all the stops. Her little rant garnered chuckles from her parents.

"No...no, honey. You misunderstand us. Of course, your mother and I would love to spend more time with you and your brothers. You kids are always welcomed with us, you know this. You're right that we're not getting any younger and as your grandfather used to quote, 'why put off what you could do today for tomorrow.' It's not that we don't love the idea, cause we do and it makes us so happy that you've thought of it and want to reconnect with us. I think I speak for your mother when I say that our hesitation isn't in the idea itself, but possibly how you're going to execute this idea exactly," Carlisle pointed out.

"What does that mean exactly?" Alice was puzzled.

"Well, dear. There are three other people involved with this. Don't you think they should be consulted as well? We get the feeling that, like you always tend to do, you've just dove in head first and has gotten all excited about this plan, but you failed to think about your brothers. We know they think differently than you. We also know that they like to be free and have active social lives. While we're sure that they may come to dinner at least once, we don't want you to get your hopes up that they'll be available every time. Have you even considered how they feel about this?" Esme was trying to be realistic.

Alice let out a giggle. "Is that what you're worried about? That Emmett, Riley, or Edward won't be coming and that I'll be disappointed? Um, I hate to break this to you both, but they'll be coming. Every single Saturday, unless something else really important comes up."

"How can you be sure, Alice? We don't want to force them to do anything that they don't want to do," Carlisle stated.

"How do you know that they don't want this, too? Or more importantly, that they don't need this?" Alice questioned back.

"Are you sure? Have you already talked to them about your idea?" Esme started sounding hopeful.

"Um, yeah," that wasn't entirely the truth, but Alice knew that they would start going to the dinners for her. She had this way with them and knew exactly how to wrap them around her little finger. At least, she was going to make them do this and she knew that they owed her plenty, so she was going to collect now. "I think they're rather looking forward to it. I just need to inform them of where and when."

"Well, okay. If it isn't any trouble for any of them. I think it's a fine idea. It'll be nice to have you all kids over for dinner once a week. It'll make your mother and I feel like an actual part of your lives. And, yes, your mother has been itching to cook huge meals again. She always envies you when you talk about the massive amount of cooking that you've done over brunch." Carlisle chuckled.

"Great, so you both are game then?" Alice wanted to clarify.

"Of course, hon. It'll actually be nice to have all of you kids over at the house again and it'll be nice to see your brothers regularly and not just on requisite holidays," Esme voiced. "But, oh, I don't want to get disappointed if they decide they can't make it. I know we can always count on you, Alice. Your brothers, well, they're a different story."

"Oh, don't worry, Ma. We'll all be heading to your house together. I'm sure their might be some drinking involved, so I'm going to be a designated driver."

"How does around 7 sound? Your father would be home from the hospital around 6 and it'll give him enough time to take a rest then help me in the kitchen."

"That's perfect. We'll make an evening of it. Hey, you may need to have our old rooms prepared. We may become too worn out to drive back," Alice said with a giggle. "We can talk about it at dinner, but I was thinking that it might be nice to go to church as a family. I haven't seen Father Aro in forever."

"Oh, that's an idea. The old chap has asked about you kids now and then after church," Carlisle interjected.

"Okay, I'll let the guys know and we'll just be at the house on Saturday, 7-ish," Alice stated excitedly. "Mom, looking forward to brunch tomorrow. We can discuss the menu for dinner. I have a couple of new recipes I wanna share with you."

"Oooh, wonderful, dear," Esme responded, just as excited as Alice.

"I love you both. See you soon," and with that Alice hung up. She could hardly contain the beaming smile upon her face. She had been worried there for a bit that she wasn't going to be able to pull off her plan.

Alice immediately went to task at booking Saturdays for family dinner time on her brothers' online calendars. For the upcoming Saturday, she put in the exact info that it would be at their parents house, around 7'ish, and that they'd be carpooling there, so none of them could be late in coming home and being ready. She knew, sooner or later, her brothers would see what she had done; she had specifically sent them notifications that a new appointment was added to their schedules.

Alice wasn't at all surprised when her phone beeped, signaling the incoming of three texts. She already knew exactly who they were from and what their messages would entail. She couldn't help but have a conspiratorial grin on her face. They were probably not too happy, but she'll be damned if she'd let them weasel out of their new obligation.

She opened the first text, which was from Edward. For a writer, he certainly didn't mince words, but then again, he knew how to be succinct.

**WTF?**

The second text came from Riley. His anger could be felt through the phone and he was long-winded.

**Al, WTF? What the hell is going on & what did you do?**

**You can't be serious, right? We'll talk 'bout this home, later!**

**BTW, u can't just hijack my calendar like that! How the hell did u even do that?**

**Where the fuck r u, anyways? Wait. I'm just going 2 call!**

The last text came from Emmett, of course. He didn't think that Alice was serious. Well, he was in for a rude-awakening, because she was going to show him just how serious she was.

**You're kidding right, Baby Sis? Tell me it's a joke!**

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **So, Alice added to her list of unbeknownst accomplices. She's such a great conspirator, isn't she? Mom and Dad Cullen never stood a chance against the force that is Alice.

Chapter 15—So, I think it's time we have Alice meet the first perfect girl. Any guesses as to which one she might be?


	17. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Okay, I lied. Sorry, we don't meet the first girl yet. I just saw on my brainstorms for this story that I had missed this little part and felt strongly that it needed to be added. Just a short thing, but has purpose. Plus, it allows me to post this tonight for you readers.

It's taken me till tonight to post, just so you all know, because I had to help the rest of my family get ready for their big 4th of July weekend camping trip. I wasn't even the one going, but yet I practically did all the packing and gathering of all their camping needs. Gosh, 1 husband and 3 kids going camping for the whole weekend needs a lot of stuff. Makes me glad that I didn't want to go—so much trouble! The only thing I didn't do was load it into the car. Well, I finally got them off! WooHoo—Freedom!

Oh, no song verse on this one. I propose that every 15th chapter I won't add a verse, just to change things up. (Or it's more like I was too lazy to find an appropriate verse tonight & just wanted to post). I might add one later if it really bugs me, but I kind of like my idea to not verse on every 15th chapter. What do you readers think?

Anyways, have at it. Hope none of you got disappointed that we haven't put the girls into this story yet.

**I'M BEHIND ON ANSWERING REVIEWS**

**BUT PLEASE DON'T LET THAT STOP YOU**

**FROM LEAVING ME SOME**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: Alice Battles Incredulity <strong>

As soon as Alice finished reading her texts, her phone rang. She naturally assumed it was Riley, who had texted that he was going to call. She was surprised to find that it wasn't Riley, but her father calling her back.

"Dad, what is it?" Alice was concerned. Maybe her plan was going to be foiled after all.

"How did you know it was me?" Carlisle asked.

"Dad, caller ID. Now, what's the matter? I just hung up with you like five minutes ago."

"Well, I couldn't really say anything while your mother was on the phone with me, but I just have to ask," Carlisle started talking lowly.

"Dad...are you sneakily calling me? Where's mom?"

"She's downstairs in the kitchen, already looking over what she may need for Saturday's dinner. She's gotten really excited about it," Carlisle answered. "I'm calling you from my office."

"Oh, wonderful. I'm glad mom is excited. I'm looking forward to it, too. Now, what is it? You're concerning me."

"Alice, your family dinner idea was I think one of the best ideas you've come up with. You can tell that your mother is over the moon about it. You didn't see her, she was was positively glowing right here beside me when we made the plans," Carlisle explained.

"Why do I hear a but in there somewhere?" Alice sensed the skepticism in her father's voice.

Carlisle continued, "But...your brothers. Do you think that they'd really go along with this? Have you really spoken to them about this? Look, I admire your forethought with this, but all of us rejoicing about this would do no good if your brothers aren't on board."

"Daaad," Alice whined.

"No, no...let me finish. You know, your mother had thought of your exact idea not too long back. She's really been missing you kids of late. She was getting sentimental. I know we see you regularly, but it's still not enough for your mother. She especially wanted to be able to be closer to your brothers again."

"That's the idea," Alice interjected.

"Yes, I get that. You know, when you all were kids, your brothers was very close to your mom. I don't know if you remember. They thought she hung the moon; every single one of them. It made her feel very good that her sons loved her so much. She positively glowed with that knowledge. You can imagine that now that you kids are grown, and with your brothers being so distant, she's kind of lost her glow. She understands well enough, though. It's a fact of life. The kids grow, move away, and lead their own lives. Anyways, your mother had the idea. While I didn't want to diminish her excitement over it, I had to be the voice of reason. I told her that I didn't think that her idea would really work. I said it was too optimistic of her to think that her adult children would actually go for something like that. I had said that she should just leave it well enough alone, because you kids are all grown and don't need us interfering with your full lives," Carlisle paused.

"Why would you do that to mom? She must've been feeling hurt?"

"Yeah, I hurt her deeply. I made her feel like that you kids didn't care about us old fogies anymore. I know it's not true of course. But, anyways, the distance between us and you kids, it bothered your mother more. Well, you can imagine how much I felt the fool when you called us with your idea. Your mother instantly had a spark of hope. However, we didn't want to get our hopes up," Carlisle said lowly again.

"What are you so worried about, dad?' Alice asked with much concern.

"Your brothers, Alice. I can't imagine them being okay with this. Forgive me, but I just can't see it. I know how busy they all are. I know that they must enjoy their time off, Saturday nights being one of them. Believe me, I know how sociable they are. It's their own time to do things they want to do or do things together as brothers. Don't think I don't know about their escapades. I'd hate to force them into something like our family dinners. I know it'll be a difficult thing for them," Carlisle concluded.

Alice thought it the perfect time to chime in, "Awww, dad. You don't have to worry about them. They'll do it and they won't mind one bit. Trust me. They'll be happy to be having these family dinners and seeing you and mom. If nothing else, they'll do it for mom. Once they know how much she misses all of us, they will be good sons and comply."

"I see. You're going to guilt them into compliance," Carlisle observed.

Alice couldn't help but chuckle, "Not really, but if they still have reservations, I'll handle them. This is going to work. It'll be fun and we'll all enjoy it. I have no doubt. Besides, don't you think it'll be better for them to use the time more wisely and have the family bonding time?"

"Truer words have never been said," Carlisle stated with a chuckle. "Okay, if you've got things under control, I guess I'll be looking forward to our first Saturday family dinner."

"Yes, dad. All is good. If you must know, Riley, Emmett, and Edward has already marked it on their calendars and we'll all be there with bells on. Not literally, but you know what I mean," Alice answered happily.

"Okay, great. Now, I can't wait until Saturday. I gotta see for myself if they aren't doing this under duress," Carlisle responded with a laugh.

"They aren't going under duress, dad. I just have my ways."

"Oh, I know you do. Listen, you truly made your mother's day when you proposed your idea. I don't think I've ever seen her smile so much as of late. Thank you for that," Carlisle said appreciatively.

"My pleasure."

"Since you've got such power over your brothers, do you think you can do one more thing for your mother?"

"And what would that be? I'm not going to force them to dress in their Sunday best, dad. I have to draw the line somewhere," Alice replied with a giggle.

"No...no. Nothing like that. I just wanted you to get each of your brothers to call your mom. Some time before Saturday would be nice. I'm sure she'd love to hear from them as well. It would make her truly happy. It bodes well for me if your mom is on Cloud 9."

"Is that all?" Alice asked incredulously. "It'll be done. Yeah, I thought the same, that it would be nice for mom to hear their voices. They call even rarer than I do. But, at least, I visit regularly. They could stand to have that routine. That's what I'm working on," Alice explained. "Family dinners are the first step. By the way, don't think I don't know what you were insinuating when you said it bodes well if mom was very happy. I do believe my father wants to get lucky," Alice finished with a fit of giggles.

"Okay, that's my cue to let you go. I'll just see you and your brothers on Saturday."

Alice's phone beeped at her, signaling that she had another incoming call. "Hold on, dad." She checked to see who was calling her now. Again, it wasn't Riley yet.

Alice answered just to tell him to hold on, "Edward."

At the same time, Edward began rattling off, "_Alice, we need to talk and talk now..._"

"Just hold, okay?" Alice then switched back to her dad.

"It's a good thing we're done, dad. I just got Edward on the other line. I love you and see you on Saturday."

"Oh, tell Edward I said hello," Carlisle last said before hanging up.

"Bye dad." Alice lingered before going back to Edward's call.

She took a deep breath and got herself ready for what was sure to be an onslaught. But, she was true to her word and like she told her dad, she was going to handle them not wanting to do family bonding over Saturday dinner.

_**~*APB*~**_

"Yes, Riley. Don't you dare test me. I'll make good on what I said. You're expected to be there and not disappoint mom and dad. Especially not mom. She's looking forward to it. I won't have you adding her to your list of broken hearts, okay? Good. Fine. See you at home."

Alice hung up in a huff and pulled at her short hair. She was completely frustrated.

For a little over an hour, she had been on her phone talking first to Edward, then to Emmett, and finally Riley had time to call. Their calls were all about the same thing, the revelation that they were expected to go to family dinners on Saturdays, starting with this upcoming Saturday.

Alice knew that they were going to protest. She expected that. She just didn't know that they would doth protest so much. It was as if it was going to be painful for them to give up some time on their Saturday nights to have dinner with their parents. She was completely angry at their lack of consideration.

She knew that they wanted to do as they pleased and felt that they were all too old to be ordered to attend a family dinner. They didn't think that they were obligated. Alice made sure they knew that they were wrong. She couldn't believe that they couldn't see how important this was to her and to their parents.

It wasn't as if they had any other plans. She knew that they were probably thinking to head out and troll the clubs again. She put a stop to that. If she had to still drag them to dinner kicking and screaming, she would; it was better than having them bail.

Alice gave her brothers the same spiel. Because of their extreme protests, she needed to pull out her big guns. She didn't want to resort to making threats and reminding them just how much they owed her, but they had left her with little choice after they resisted so much.

She would have to face them again when she got home. She wasn't looking forward to it, but at least she knew that she had them over a barrel. They were all coming on Saturday. She got them to at least agree to that.

Now, how was she going to get them to every Saturday dinner until she found her matches? It was a puzzle that needed much pondering and another Mocha and Coconut Frappucino.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **On Chapter 16—We may or may not meet the first girl. I got another little brainstorm that I think is important to add, but I haven't decided yet if it should be before or after we meet the first lovely lady.

And a note to one of my latest reviewers, Sarah-

Sarah, you don't have PM on FF, I presume, so I can't really answer you back. But I wanted to be sure if you read this again that I do respond to your lovely, thoughtful review. First off, thank you for leaving me one of the most insightful reviews I've received to date. I enjoyed reading your thoughts and opinions on the chapter, as well as your suggestions. I'll say that I'll keep your suggestions in mind and you've got some stuff figured out—good for you! Thank you again for reviewing and looking forward to hearing from you again!

See you guys tomorrow! Probably late again, because I plan to put in some more time on my other 2 WIP's. Has anyone ventured over to those? May I suggest that you do. They're all different stories. I don't update the other 2 as frequently as I'd like, admittedly. But, hey, you might like them as well.

Oh, if you wanna hear me ramble more, follow me on Twitter (at) randommama. Just another suggestion. I don't mind adding more followers. If I get an influx of readers following, I swear I'll tweet about my fics & writing more.

Going to bed now and cuddling my baby!


	18. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** This is behind because FF wouldn't let me upload last night.

Just another short one today. Yup, no first meeting yet-sorry. I promise we'll get there for the next update. Decided this was important to insert in the story and show you readers that Alice won't necessarily have to do so much work on her mission. The guys have motivation of their own to change themselves.

**THANKS TO ALL MY REGULAR REVIEWERS**

**BECOME ONE, IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY**

**AND TAKE THE TIME TO REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: Afraid Of Alice Leaving<strong>

"_Please Don't Go"_

_by KC & The Sunshine Band_

_Please don't go, don't go  
>Don't go away<br>Please don't go, don't go  
>I'm begging you to stay<br>Please don't go_

"Fuck," Riley exclaimed loudly as he stomped into the kitchen from the garage. He slammed his bag and a couple of books on the island, causing Edward to jump in his seat slightly.

"What the fuck is the matter now, asshole?" Edward retorted icily. "You nearly made me drop my sandwich onto my laptop." Pointing out the sandwich precariously balanced in his hand.

"It's Alice. She's...she's exacerbating," Riley said through gritted teeth.

"You're only learning this now," Edward said with a chuckle. "She's your twin," he continued sardonically as he chewed a big bite of his sandwich.

Riley glared at Edward then warned, "I'm in no mood."

"I could see that," Edward said dryly. "So, what's got you huffing and puffing again?"

"Alice," Riley practically shouted.

"And what's new?" Edward asked without even looking at Riley, his attention trained back to his computer.

"Don't tell me you weren't mad about being forced to attend Saturday"s family dinner?" Riley looked incredulously at his brother.

"Oh that? You're still in a tizzy about it? Yeah, at first I was mad, but now I'm just resigned to it," Edward answered matter-of-factly.

"I don't like being bullied into doing something," Riley explained.

"She didn't bully you. She forced you to comply," Edward pointed out. "Besides, didn't you already know that we had no chance of turning her down?"

"She's not really serious about Saturday, is she?"

"You bet she is. When has sis ever not been?"

Riley just nodded. He knew Edward had him there. When Alice set her mind to something, there was really no stopping her.

Emmett then walked into the kitchen holding a shirt and four ties. Edward and Riley stared at him.

"You have a date or something?" Riley asked Emmett.

"Nah. I'm trying to pick something to wear for this weekend," Emmett answered.

"In case you forgot already, we're going to mom and dad's for dinner," Riley whined.

"I know," Emmett simply said.

"Wait. Alice didn't say anything about dressing up for dinner." Riley's tone was nervous.

"Yeah, but Edward and I thought it would be nice to dress up. For mom...we think she'll like that." Edward nodded. "Besides, we haven't seen mom in like fucking forever. Alice said mom misses us and is looking forward to dinner. I think it would good for us to put our best foot forward," Emmett continued. "And you know that mom and dad will probably be dressed to the nines anyways, so we might as well play along."

"Fuck. Fucking great. Now, I need to go dig out a nice outfit for Saturday," Riley spouted.

"You can just have Alice help you," Edward added helpfully.

"Oh, good idea. Where is the evil pixie?" Riley inquired.

"Yeah, when I heard the door I thought it was Alice. That's why I brought these out to show her," Emmett said pointing out the shirt and ties in his hand.

"She has a late pastry, or cake, or dessert something or other class tonight," Edward replied still barely paying attention to his brothers in the room. "I don't really know what the hell it's called. But, she promised to bring us some sweet stuff from class tonight. Looking forward to it."

"So, Em. Were you pissed off when you found out that we're being ordered to attend this family dinner thing?" Riley probed.

"I thought it was a joke at first. But Alice set me damn straight quickly. Now, like Edward, I guess I'm just resigned to going. Actually, come to think of it, I'm looking forward to it, too. We hadn't had mom's cooking in ages.," Emmett answered honestly.

"I don't know why you're so worked about it, Ry. It's not like we've got anything better to do that night, but get shitfaced again," Edward interjected. "I don't know about you guys, but after the last time, I'm not looking forward to being hung over the morning after anymore. It's only with Alice's help that we become functional."

"True that," Emmett affirmed. Then Emmett got quiet all of a sudden and had a solemn look on his face. "Have you two noticed that Alice has gotten really pissed at us lately? I mean, totally pissed. I'd never seen her so angry as after the last fight we'd had. Shit, I had the nail marks on my wrist to prove it the next day," Emmett paused. He began again after taking a deep breath, "You know, when I first protested about dinner with the 'rents, she reminded me how angry she's been and how much I owed her. When I was still being stubborn, she told me not to push her or she'll do something like move out."

"She told me the same thing," Edward confirmed. Riley nodded as well.

"I shut up after that," Emmett admitted. "I know that she would make good on that threat just to spite us."

"I've seen her more frustrated and upset than I've ever seen her before. I know a lot of it has to do with us. She tries not to show it and cover, but I can see right through her act. And now, with Jasper being back, and the death anniversaries of the babies having just passed. It's a lot of added stress that she doesn't need," Edward expressed.

"I bet it'll just take one more huge fuck up from us and she won't put up with us any longer," Emmett speculated. "I know she's thinking of leaving. She'd started asking me about real estate lately and I caught her looking at the housing classifieds on her computer."

"I also caught her with an apartment magazine," Riley added. "I hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but now that you mentioned it. Shit! She's really thinking of moving out. She isn't fucking with us, is she?"

"Well, you gotta admit...we've been world-class pricks lately. We've made her pissed as hell more times than we can probably count right now and I bet our little protests over Saturday family dinners didn't help us," Edward voiced.

"Fuck. If she leaves then what are we going to do? Where does that leave us? You gotta admit that we've had it pretty good with her around. She fucking takes care of us even if we're big time assholes. That's admirable. Remember our last fight? As mad as she was with what happened that night, she still managed to make us all her famous hangover remedy, tidied up our rooms, and then she made us a delicious brunch. She must've been up most of the night. She's a better person than all of us. I know I wouldn't even have bothered," Emmett proclaimed.

Edward supplemented, "Yeah, we're pretty lucky bastards, aren't we? Alice doesn't have to do half of what she does for us, but she still does it. She hardly ever complains or even protests."

"God, I feel like a first-class dickhead now for fussing so much about our Saturday family dinners," Riley conceded. "I mean what's the big fucking deal about it anyways, right? We haven't really been good sons and visited with mom and dad. Not like Alice. We've practically let our relationship with our parents go by the wayside. Alice really wants this to work and I think I know her motivation behind it, too."

"Face it, we've all been drifting apart. Alice just wants to bring us back together again. I'm sure the way we'd been going at it lately scares her. We can't exactly blame her for orchestrating things. Y'know, if Alice moves out, things will get worse." They all nodded in agreement at Edward's words.

"We got to suck it up and do this dinner thing for her. We owe her. And I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to see Alice move," Emmett stated.

"Yeah, it isn't time for Baby Sis to go yet. We still need her. More importantly she still needs us as well," Riley expressed.

"With her condition still unstable, we need to watch out for her." Again, Riley and Emmett nodded at Edward's assessment. "We had promised mom and dad after all."

"So, we agree. We can't have Alice leave just yet. We need to get our acts together," Emmett reiterated.

"Yeah, we also need to give back to her in other ways too. We could start helping her out more around the house, instead of being the sorry, lazy saps that we are. We got to lessen her stress, so we need to stop fighting, stop getting shitfaced, and not drive away anymore girlfriends of hers. That means her friends are off-limits. She needs her friends. In fact, we need to encourage her to have more girl time." Edward looked to his brothers to see if they once agreed with his sentiments. They nodded back.

"What else can we do?" Emmett asked. "Agreeing happily to Saturday family dinners is just the start of us turning over a new leaf."

"We can fuck up that guy that hurt her," Riley inserted.

"Oh yeah. That'll go over well," Emmett said sarcastically.

"I hate to say it guys, but I think we might have to get her and Jasper back to together." Riley and Emmett just gaped at Edward. He continued, "Think about it. It's the ultimate reciprocation we could give her for all she's done for us. We can't deny that she loves the guy, even after he's hurt her so. From our last encounter with Jasper, I could tell that he's remorseful for what he'd done and he still feels the same about her. She's always spouting how she'd seen that they were meant to be. She's been the happiest when Jasper was in her life. We need to help her out."

Just then Alice walked through the door carrying a pastry box and looking well worn out. The brothers gaped at her and she raised an eyebrow at them. Then the brothers looked to each other and nodded. Looks like Emmett, Edward, and Riley had a mission of their own now.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Here's the teaser for the next chapter:

"_I can help you with that," a voice rang out._

_Alice looked up from the paper she was reading onto a vision. A blonde goddess with eyes of deep blue, a face and body to die for, and killer heels that Alice wanted immediately was looking down on her, wearing a blue power suit and a tight smile upon her face. Alice blinked a few times just to make sure she wasn't imagining things. _

Made some decent progress on my two other stories. Hoping to do some more work a bit later. Going to take a mid-evening nap now and rest up, so I can possibly do some of the neglected housework and continue working to finish my chapters when the two lil ones are fast asleep.


	19. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans! Here's the latest. Sorry, it's a bit behind. I tried to produce it last night, but the rest of the family came home from their camping trip and totally hogged my time—they missed me, what can I say.

BTW, the kids and dad went to see _Cars 2_ in 3D last night and they gave it a thumbs up. Even dad liked it. Great story and great animation they said. I assure you, my family is one of the pickiest movie-goers out there—they dislike practically everything, so an endorsement from them must mean it was really good. Oh, if you have a chance to, go see Chris Weitz's, _A Better Life_. He's one of those celebs that is great with their twitter and I want to have a chance to see it here in my state of Colorado, which I won't get to, if more people don't go out to see it in the markets where it's being screened right now.

**ENOUGH WITH THE PSA's**

**JUST REVIEW IF YOU CAN**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Alice and the Blonde Bombshell<strong>

"_Beautiful, Blue Eyed Blonde"_

_a traditional Bluegrass song_

_Big blue eyes that sparkle like dew drops on the ground_

_To meet her is to love her, she makes your heart grow fond_

_Heaven's not far above her, she's a beautiful blue eyed blonde_

Alice plopped down in a booth at her favorite Starbucks, savoring the simplistic Vanilla Latte in her hands. She took a sip and moaned softly to herself in appreciation. Lately, she had been going here to unwind and decompress after long days. Today, her day wasn't quite done yet as she actually still had another class to attend, but she could no longer ignore the allure of the coffee. She understood why Starbucks was so successful-their coffee was addicting.

She brought out her laptop and opened her mission file only to shut it again in frustration. Her lack of progress was driving her crazy. She still hadn't met any women suitable to meet any of her brothers and Alice knew that she was running out of time. Right now she was in a holding pattern, but she wasn't sure how much longer it would stand. She had gotten lucky thus far, but she knew she couldn't keep relying on luck. Sooner or later, her luck would run out and then her mission was back to square one.

Her brothers' sexual frustrations were palpable. Despite their best efforts to control their tempers and make living with them smoother overall, something new that Alice had realized, the tension was still thick in the air. They had even voiced their dissatisfaction with the way their lives were now over at Saturday's family dinner-all work and no play. Alice's mom and dad just looked upon their sons sympathetically.

Riley, in particular, was becoming like a ticking time bomb. Already, with the help of her unbeknownst accomplices, ten potentially disastrous situations with women had to be diffused. Ten! It was unfathomable to Alice.

With the most recent one, Alice was grateful for receiving a vision of Riley walking out of the bar after his shift with an unknown, standard-issue, skanky barfly. Alice knew that could only lead to them bumping uglies at God knows wherever and was going to be a huge hit to her mission. She couldn't allow it to happen. Apparently, from the intel Alice received from Kristie after she helped stop the situation from happening, Riley had been stalking this barfly for days. Skanky barfly had been lapping up the attention and was finally going to give into Riley's advances. That was until Jen and Kristie showed her the door after Alice called them, frantic. Alice couldn't exactly reveal to the girls that she saw a vision, only her immediate family really knew of her ability, so she had to feign a story to get Jen and Kristie to act. It worked and the latest skanky barfly was no more, much to Riley's chagrin. That was all that mattered to Alice and she didn't need to know the exact details of what went down. Finding Riley coming home mad as hell and then knowingly noticing that he had relieved his tension somehow, sometime later, was good enough for Alice.

Alice knew, though, that Riley wasn't going to stand for being cockblocked much longer. In fact, neither would Edward and Emmett. Their dry spells had gone on long enough. It was only a matter of time.

Now, Alice could just very well allow them to have their next sexual liaisons. Knowing their reputations, it was unlikely that they would've found their "ones". Riley for certain would pull his patented sleep with them then dump them routine-no big deal. However, with Emmett and Edward, Alice couldn't take the risk that when she was ready to bring forth to them their perfect matches, they wouldn't be available. That was never going to do for her mission. So, Alice decided that all of their sexual urges had to be tamed for now.

Alice needed to find them their girls to focus all their pent up energy on and she needed to find them now. The urgency had never become more apparent when Alice realized earlier that Edward's fuck buddy, Senna, was due back home soon. It was no wonder why Edward seemed particularly in better spirits of late. Alice had even caught him whistling to himself on his way out of the house this morning. Time was really of the essence, but unfortunately Alice was at a loss.

Alice sighed into her coffee cup. It wasn't as if she wasn't trying. Alice was trying her damnedest to meet lots of available women to screen them for her brothers. She first began searching amongst the girls she was currently friendly with in and out of school. She struck out there and started working on meeting lots of new women. A lot of these women were eliminated because they were already in relationships, had some past history with her brothers, or they were just plain wrong for any of her brothers.

Alice then started talking to every girl she'd ever had classes with, dismissing her own discomfort. She knew there was a reason she wasn't friendly with these gals in the first place. If they hadn't found Alice weird before, they certainly did now, and she still hadn't had any luck. In fact, with a few of these ladies, it made Alice shudder to think of them being with either Riley, Edward, or Emmett.

Alice's culinary school was looking to be a wash, so Alice naturally turned elsewhere to find some right women for her brothers. She was making lots of new friends. She had a long list of gals that she owed coffee dates to, lunches, and even spa days. There was even a list of gals she promised to give cooking lessons to. Alice was starting to rack up girlfriends. What she hadn't been finding was the girlfriends for her brothers.

Her one closest candidate, a barista right in this Starbucks, became a no-go when she finally and casually mentioned a hometown fiancé' the other day. Well, that sucked. So now Alice found herself running out of time and running out of options. She cringed at the possibility of having to hit the clubs now just to find women for her own brothers.

Alice felt a little pathetic. How hard could it be to meet good, decent, women in this city that hadn't yet slept with one of the Cullen brothers? It was actually harder than she thought. Alice imagined that this must be how men felt when trying to find women for themselves. Dating was certainly a difficult task and Alice saw the benefits of arranged marriages.

Alice sighed once more into her coffee cup, her Vanilla Latte was starting to get cold because of her inner musings. She quickly ordered up another, along with one of their huge, chocolate scones. She needed to eat away her stress and focus her mind on something else for the moment. She absentmindedly picked up the paper that was left on the next table and began to read. It was a real estate paper. Alice began to lose herself in the pictures of beautiful houses.

"I can help you with that," a voice rang out.

Alice looked up from the paper she was reading onto a vision. A blonde goddess with eyes of deep blue, a face and body to die for, and killer heels that Alice wanted immediately was looking down on her, wearing a blue power suit and a tight smile upon her face. Alice blinked a few times just to make sure she wasn't imagining things.

Yup, there was an absolutely, beautiful woman standing before her, looking like the poster child for Barbie and Alice was envious of her boobs immediately. Alice could tell her breasts were natural and she figured that the woman before her must wear power panties. Alice had an instant liking to her and appreciated the fact that this time, she wasn't the one having to make the first move.

Alice didn't quite understand what she was talking about, though. "Uh, excuse me," she said meekly, a bit intimidated by the attractiveness of the women standing before her.

"Oh, excuse me for being so forward. I just noticed you reading the real estate pages there and I just wanted to say that if you're looking to move or are in the market for those types of real estate, I could help you with that," the girl who Alice quickly dubbed in her mind, the Blonde Bombshell, answered.

"Well, actually no I'm not...wait," Alice begun to say, but paused. "Are you a real estate agent?"

"Uh, no...not exactly. Not at all really," the Blonde Bombshell stammered and Alice became noticeably confused. "You see, I saw you eying one of those houses there and well, I actually designed it and had it built. I figured if you liked my work, I could definitely help you look at it or find some other properties you might be interested in."

"Ahh, so you're an architect?" Alice clarified and Blonde Bombshell nodded happily. "And you designed this house here?" Alice asked in wonderment pointing to the spread on the paper.

"Yes, but truly the pictures on the spread don't do it justice. It's better if you look at it in person and see it up close and personal," Blonde Bombshell replied. "I could get you in touch with the agent right away."

"It's really a beautiful house from the pictures. You did an excellent job in designing it. I can only imagine how much more beautiful it looks up close and personal, as you say."

"Well, thank you," Blonde Bombshell said with pride. "What the pictures are missing is really the fine details and extra added touches I had put into the design. And the writer's description of the house doesn't do it justice once again, but I didn't have a say in it. I'm Rosalie Hale, by the way," and she pulled out her card to give to Alice and left her hand out to shake.

Alice casually took the card and stuck it in her purse then shook Rosalie's hand. Alice was immediately struck with a tingly feeling as their hands met. Alice knew what that could mean.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Alice," she purposefully left off her last name for the time-being. "I have to admit that I'm really not in the market to buy a house. I just absentmindedly picked up this paper that someone left behind to read."

"Oh," Rosalie uttered. "Please forgive me for bothering you. You must think it's so strange of me to have approached you. It's just that I take so much pride in my work and whenever I see someone looking at any of my work, I automatically assume they're interested, maybe more than they are, and I just can't help myself sometimes. I best be moving right along, then."

"No...no...no. Please don't go," Alice urged. "Please come and sit with me. Just because I'm not in the market right now for real estate, doesn't mean I'm not interested in your work. You're very talented, you know."

Rosalie beamed, "Thank you again. Are you sure it's all right? I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?"

"No, I have some time. Come sit. Let's chat," Alice said enthusiastically.

Rosalie slid into the booth seat opposite of Alice. The two girls began getting to know each other better. They had talked until right up to when Alice had to leave for class. Alice's instincts were right about Rosalie. They became fast friends.

That night Alice had a dream about Rosalie. She saw her walking hand in hand with Emmett looking at a property that Rosalie had designed. Alice woke up with a huge smile on her face. That was when she knew she had just found Emmett's match.

One down, two more to go. Alice could only hope it would be easier now to find Edward and Riley's girls.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Um, yeah, we skipped over the first Saturday family dinner. It just wouldn't help move the story along if I placed it here. It would just have involved a lot of dialogue, which I kind of detest and is frightened of actually. Don't fear, though, it'll probably be an outtake. Maybe I'll make it as another flashback chapter. We'll see how I feel.

TBH, don't know what the next chapter entails yet. Haven't decided. So, I'll keep you readers in the dark for now—sorry!

Oh yeah, I'll be working hard on replying to your reviews sometime tonight after the party.

Gotta get ready for the 4th of July party & let's hope I don't need to kill my kiddos before we even arrive—it involves an hour + drive to get to the party, and, um, 5 kiddos. It's not always a good mix.

To my regular reviewer, Sarah...

I wish I could reply back to your reviews, but FF doesn't allow me with their new system now. But, just keep them coming. I enjoy reading them! Don't you worry at all about reviewing often. I love and have a different appreciation for those of my readers that do.


	20. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** A short one for this morning. I really tried to have this done yesterday, but I got involved with working on my other stories and made such good progress that I ran out of time to get this one out. I'm going to try and have another one ready for tonight—no promises, though. If I can get a good energy fix from my Chocolate milkshake and Angus Burger at McD's, which is probably going to be lunch (and I really shouldn't be having it, but oh well), then I may just pull it off.

I'm really behind on reviews for this one and I'm so sorry about that. I promise I'll make time to chat with you all via my replies, especially my beloved regular reviewers, just as soon as I can. But, as a reader once told me, she'd rather have me putting out my story updates than get a review response, so that is where my focus is at right now.

**HAVE NO FEAR, I'LL GET TO MY REVIEW REPLIES**

**KEEP REVIEWING ANYWAYS**

**I'LL CATCH UP**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18: The Cullen Brothers' Mission Begins<strong>

"_Between You and Me"_

_by DC Talk_

_If there's to be any resolution_

_I've got to peel my pride away_

_Just between you and me_

_I've got something to say_

_Wanna get it straight_

_Before the sun goes down_

_If confession is the road to healing_

_Forgiveness is the promised land_

_I'm reaching out in my conviction_

_I'm longing to make amends_

Edward walked into the bar where he knew he'd more than likely find the man he was looking for, Jasper Whitlock. Jasper was nothing if not predictable. That was something Edward had learned when they used to be friends. If he was back in town, he'd certainly go back to one of his favorite haunts. Edward figured that with the way Jasper's life has been lately, he'd definitely find him here, drinking away his sorrows.

Edward scanned the surprisingly crowded bar. He didn't see Jasper offhand and suddenly felt disappointed. Maybe he had been mistaken? He was just about to leave when a big, burly, biker-type guy moved away and Edward caught sight of Jasper's mop of curly, blonde hair, his form hunched over at the end of the bar, seemingly cradling a drink in his hands. Edward wasn't wrong after all.

Edward made his way over to Jasper, reigning in his urge to approach Jasper and automatically punch him in the face. Despite his own personal feelings, Edward remembered why he was seeking Jasper out in the first place. He was doing this for Alice.

There was an empty stool next to Jasper's seat for which Edward was grateful. Edward took a seat and ordered himself vodka on the rocks. It was a bit early for him to be hitting the sauce; however, some liquid courage never hurt anybody.

"Thought I'd find you here," Edward said to Jasper. Jasper looked up from the drink he was nursing.

"Well, Edward Cullen. As I live and breathe...never thought I'd see the day again when you'd be seeking me out. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Jasper replied and Edward could see that Jasper was half-way to being tanked.

"We need to talk," Edward said simply.

"Talk, huh? Hmmm...where are your other two brothers? No...no, let me guess. They're waiting out back in the alley. You lure me there under the guise of us needing to talk privately, I comply, and I just walk myself into the beat down I deserve and you Cullens have been waiting for the opportunity to give me. Uh, pardon me, but no thanks. I'm perfectly content sitting here and getting myself wasted."

Edward chuckled a little before answering, "Oh, Jazz. You wound me. You really think I would do that? What kind of men do you take me and my brothers for?"

"The kind that are protective over their little sister," Jasper began. "Good men that I wouldn't expect anything less from after what I did. To be honest, I'm surprised it hasn't happened already."

Edward scoffed, "Pffft...if we were all younger, maybe. But, not now. My brothers and I are civilized guys, not savages. Not that we don't want to, cause believe me, we would like to. In fact, it's taking all of my self-control not to give you a black eye right here and now. But, I won't, and you won't have to worry about Emmett or Riley either."

"And why is that?"

"Two reasons: One, our parents raised us better than that. Two...believe me when I say that us three have fucked up plenty on our own with Alice, and if we beat your ass, that would be another fuck up we'd notch on her list. We kind of don't want to notch any more fuck ups with Alice. She'd beat us up probably," Edward explained.

Jasper laughed. "Why Edward, don't tell me that you and your brothers are scared of little, ole' Alice?"

"Damn straight," Edward stated, as he downed the last of his drink. "That little pixie is a force to be reckoned with. You should know that better than anyone."

Jasper just raised his glass up to Edward. He ordered up another and gestured for Edward to have a refill of his drink, for which Edward declined.

"So what do you want then?" Jasper asked. "I do believe we're no longer friends, so why do you want to talk to me? I don't think there is anything left to be said."

"Oh, I don't know about that. But, just to get right to it, I want to know your plan."

"Plan?" Jasper looked confused.

"Yeah, your plan to get back together with Alice," Edward stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, that? I've got none. I've already tried, but I just don't think it's going to happen. She hasn't been willing to see me, let alone talk to me. I've apologized profusely. I think that's all I could do now."

"Well, haven't you been communicating with her through email?"

"If you can call it that. She won't take my calls, so I resorted to that. I've been the one mostly writing, though. She answers me on occasion, but even then, it's short, general, and very guarded responses. She might as well not have responded at all. It would be less torturous. I don't know why I still even bother, to be honest."

"Because you still love her," Edward again stated matter-of-factly.

"That's true," Jasper snorted. "I made the hugest fuck up of my life when I ran out on her. I don't think I could do anything worse from now on to match that fuck up. And, if she gave me half a chance, I'd be spending the rest of my life trying to make it up to her. But, I think it's a lost cause. I should know better. My mistake is not one that's easily forgivable, if it's even forgivable at all. Besides, why do you care? I'd bet that you or your brothers don't want Alice to have anything to do with me. Do you want to know if I had a plan, just so you can thwart my efforts?"

No...no, of course not. We would never deliberately sabotage your efforts to get back with Alice," Edward defended.

Jasper laughed once more. "Didn't you guys already admit to doing just that? When I first started contacting Alice to let her know I was back and that I wanted to apologize and talk, you guys kept me from getting in contact with her."

"Yeah, well...that was Emmett and Riley. I hadn't known about it whatsoever until they finally told me. But, let's not dwell on that. It was an initial reaction on their part. A result of their anger towards you. You couldn't exactly blame them. We've realized that it was wrong. We've since had a change of heart. We understand you two belong together, despite your major fuck up," Edward responded.

Jasper looked at Edward as if he had grown two heads. What Edward had said was something Jasper never would've expected to come out of his mouth.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Jasper was incredulous.

"Well, didn't you hear Alice spout about how you two were always meant to be? How you two are fate and some crap like that?"

"Yeah, but... I really don't understand. She must hate me and I know you guys don't approve."

"Alice doesn't hate you. She could never hate you, despite what you did. She's just that good of a person. In fact, we know that she still loves you. She just needs time to sort out things. And, while you may not be our first choice for a man for her, if she says it's meant to be between the two, then you two are going to be together. Whether we like it or not."

"I still don't get it," Jasper admitted.

"If there's one thing we brothers learned growing up, it's to never bet against Alice. So, if she says you two will be together, then it'll happen," Edward clarified. "Now, you just need to get off your ass and work harder. You've got to be the one to initiate things, because while Alice does believe you two are meant to be, she's also stubborn as all hell, too. So, your asses need a little help. That's where Riley, Emmett, and I come in."

"Oh, you're a funny guy, Edward. You mean to tell me that you and your brothers are going to help me get back into Alice's good graces? That's downright comical."

"I'm not joking, Jazz. We're going to help."

"But why? You guys hate me," Jasper pointed out.

"I'd already told you," Edward said dismissively.

"No. You really haven't," Jasper indicated.

"Like I said, we don't bet against Alice. So why fight it? We might as well help. Things will be better, if we do. And, if you must know, like I also said, we brothers have a long list of grievances with Alice, the most of which have to do with being careless with our personal lives and having it affect her life. In case you haven't notice, we're not exactly helpful with Alice keeping girlfriends. Definitely, not our finer moments. When she lost you, she really didn't have anyone besides us to turn to. What she probably could've used was a girlfriend's shoulder to cry on. But, we had pretty much driven them all away. We see what we've done now. We see our own huge mistake against Alice. Consider us helping you find love with her again, our way of trying to apologize and make things up to Alice for our own mistake. She loves you and is better off with you in her life than without you. But, don't get me or my brothers wrong, we're not doing this for you. We're doing it for Alice because we love her more than anything," Edward entailed.

"So, you're really going to help me out with your sister?" Jasper looked hopeful.

"Yeah, but first, we need to get you sober. Then we can talk more," Edward stated. "C'mon."

Edward stood up and urged Jasper to do the same. Jasper complied. Edward dropped a $100 bill on the bar to cover his and Jasper's bar tab, then they walked off together out of the bar and into the brightness of a new day.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Not going to keep you with some more babble. Next chapter, we'll met the next love match. You might already know who it'll be.


	21. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Yeah, I know I went MIA. Eh, Life. It gets in the way sometimes. Posting this chapter first and then I should've a couple more for you before the day is through. That should make things up for my sudden disappearance. Not even going to lie, the next couple will be shorter, so I can get it out to you guys more quickly.

Thanks once again to my regular reviewers—I more than love hearing your thoughts about each chapter that comes your way. And, for those that were hoping that this chapter was about Bree, sorry to disappoint. I'd already laid out the foundation for the order things happen.

**READERS,**

**THANKS FOR BEARING WITH ME AND THE SPORADIC UPDATES**

**TELL ME IN A REVIEW HOW I'M DOING WITH THE STORY, THOUGH**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19: Alice and the Enchanting Beauty<strong>

"_She Don't Know She's Beautiful"_

_by Sammy Kershaw_

_We go out to a party somewhere  
>The moment we walk in the door<br>People stop and everybody stares  
>She don't know what they're staring for<em>

_She don't know she's beautiful (never crossed her mind)_  
><em>She don't know she's beautiful (no she's not that kind)<em>  
><em>She don't know she's beautiful<em>  
><em>Though time and time I've told her so<em>

_There she goes just walking down the street_  
><em>And someone lets a whistle out<em>  
><em>A girl like her she just can't see<em>  
><em>What the fuss is all about<em>

_And she don't know she's beautiful (never crossed her mind)_  
><em>She don't know she's beautiful (no she's not that kind)<em>  
><em>She don't know she's beautiful<em>  
><em>Though time and time I've told her so<em>

Alice dragged herself down the sidewalk, shopping bags in tow, and was thankful when she finally saw her car. She loaded the bags inside the trunk, closed it with a slam, and then leaned against the car to take a break and catch her breath. She never knew shopping could be such hard work. Well, kitchen gadgetry weren't exactly the lightest things. She silently cursed Riley for driving her to shop in the first place when she actually disliked shopping.

While Alice had found Rosalie, whom she felt strongly is going to be the perfect girl for Emmett, she still needed to find Edward and Riley's girls before she could move forward with the rest of her mission. That was easier said than done. As many women as she had been meeting, she still hadn't yet gotten that special feeling again like she had received with Rosalie, which was her sign now that she had found a girl with potential. She had just spent an inglorious amount of time chatting up ladies at the stores she was shopping in, salesgirls and customers alike, but no special feeling happened. The only thing that was happening was her racking up her credit card debt.

Alice forged on, though, knowing that she'd eventually find success. She'd had a clear vision of her three brothers smiling like they'd won the lottery and in the arms of their three women; unfortunately, the only woman she saw clearly was Rosalie. She was determined to fill in the faces of those other two girls.

In the meantime, Alice had been relying on luck, her unbeknownst accomplices, and her visions to help with certain situations that were hazardous to her mission. It was not an easy job.

Riley was the one driving her most insane. That boy was determined to get into some girl's panties and Alice had become busy cockblocking him at every turn. It was a back and forth game that Alice frankly was getting tired of. Now, Alice could very well just let Riley be and let the chips fall where they may; however, part of the reason she didn't was because Alice did not want to have another poor girl become a victim to Riley's predatory ways. She didn't need to have another girl's broken heart weighing on her conscience, not when she could prevent it.

Thankfully, Edward and Emmett made things easier on Alice. They were very busy these days.

Emmett was busy with the Seahawks training camp in Renton and Edward was in the final stages of finishing his latest manuscript and getting it ready to go to print. Their schedules left very little time for play and when they did have some time for play, they wisely used it to catch up on much needed rest, because they were simply exhausted most days, spent time with family, or by spending time with their male friends. This made Alice happy to no end.

Emmett was too busy and exhausted to be chasing girls. Besides, apart from the occasional visit of wives and girlfriends of the players, there really weren't any women available for Emmett to chase while he was at the Seahawks training camp. There was no way Emmett was even going to try and chase any of the player wives or girlfriends; he had already learned his lesson on that regard.

Although Senna, Edward's fuck buddy, had been due home, Alice caught a break when Senna was unexpectedly required to go to Bali and do some re-shoots for the swimsuit spread she was a part of. Then began the fashion weeks in Paris, London, Milan, and New York, so it seemed Senna wasn't going to make it back into town after all. She was going to spend her time after Bali at her home in New York city and well, unfortunately, Edward had no time to get away right now. The disappointment of hearing the news was evident on Edward's face when Senna had called to tell him all this, and while Alice acted sympathetically when Edward shared all this with her, she was secretly beaming from ear to ear inside.

One of Alice's big accomplishments with her mission was getting her brothers to spend more time with their male friends. She thought the male bonding did her brothers good, but on the downside, it reminded them that they had no girls at the moment which was why they had all this time to spend with their normally neglected buddies.

Alice sighed as she pushed away from her car. She crossed her fingers that she might actually meet a great girl for either Edward or Riley today. As she was about to get into her car, she noticed that she was parked in front of a quaint looking book shop. It boasted that it had a full service cafe inside that had the best cupcakes this side of town. In that case, she just had to try these supposedly fantastic cupcakes.

She stumbled through the door and found that the cafe was pretty tiny, but it seemed cozy and perfect for unwinding. She was about to head over there and order up a cupcake when she heard the girl at the counter greet her, "Welcome to the Little Book Nook. I hope you enjoy yourself here. Let me know if there's anything I can help you with, okay?" Alice looked over and was greeted by a warm smile, before the girl turned her attention to other customers gathered around the counter.

Seeing that warm smile immediately conjured up a vision in Alice's head. It was her and the girl behind the counter, sitting on a beautiful, sunny, beach, joyously laughing together before Edward came over and shook out his dampened hair all over them, garnering a glare from Alice, but the girl just looked upon Edward adoringly. Alice immediately knew that she was meant to know the girl behind the counter. She was especially intrigued that her vision included her as a party in the scene and that rarely happened.

Instead of heading over to the cafe like Alice had intended, she began to walk amongst the shelves of books and peruse the selections that was offered, all the while keeping an eye on the women at the counter. Alice was waiting for an opportune time to approach the woman; however, the woman seemed busy chatting and helping a variety of customers that constantly surrounded her counter.

Alice looked around the book shop and found it to be very inviting. It had a very personal, intimate, feel as if it was a library that could be in your own home. There was lots of comfy chairs scattered about the space for people to sit in and lose themselves reading. Tables had small reading lamps and the decor of the place was both quirky, modern, and classic all rolled into one. The upstairs loft area seemed to specifically be reserved as the children's area considering the wondrous murals that covered the walls, the brightly colored shelves, tables, and chairs, and the whimsy that just surrounded the space with wind chimes, stuffed animals, and various other toys hanging from the ceiling. Alice instantly fell in love with this little book shop and made a mental note to come here often to relax, even if she wasn't that big of a reader. This Little Book Nook had personality and beat the starkness of the library.

When Alice looked again to the counter, her face fell when she found that the girl was no longer at the counter and someone else had taken her place. She turned to walk away when she was greeted by the same warm smile as before. She looked up into a deep, kindly, and chocolate-brown gaze. Alice also observed that the girl was naturally gorgeous, but she wasn't one to flaunt her beauty, wearing very light makeup and only a small amount of gloss on her lips. The girl before her just looked inviting and friendly, and she just emanated a warmth about her. Alice instantly wanted to become friends with this girl.

"Hi there. My name's Bella. I saw you looking around and I was wondering if there was something in particular I could help you find?" The girl said cheerily and Alice found it ironic that once again she was the one being approached instead of her doing the approaching.

Alice scrambled to say something, "Uh, actually, I just realized I'd been looking in the wrong section. I was looking for one of the original copies of a children's book and just realized that all the children's stuff must be upstairs."

"Oh yes. You'll probably find what you'll need in the loft area. We try to carry a wide selection of original copies of children's books and if we don't have it, we can always order it for you. There's just something about the classic productions of the timeless tales that we think is important for the kids today to get to see. But, we carry and can order the modernized versions as well. Come, follow me, and I can help you find the book," and Bella urged Alice to follow her up the winding staircase to the children's section. Alice was soon joining her heading up the stairs.

"Uh, what book is it that you're looking for?" Bella asked.

Alice halted and tried to rack her brain for a book from her childhood. She stammered, "Uh...uh...um, _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_?" A title came to her, but she said it as more of a question.

"That's a great book for young ones. Eric Carle. He's one of our most popular children's authors," Bella stated over her shoulder. "I know just where to find it. Come," and she waved Alice over to a small bookshelf in the corner and knelt down to retrieve the book in question.

Alice stood where she was at the top of the stairs and just stared in wonderment at the children's area. Now that she was up here, she could see how it was truly a child's paradise. Her inner child relished all the tiny, personal details that were every bit kid-friendly. She even wanted to play with the little train set on the train table in the middle of the area. Again, she noticed that the space could've passed for a child's own library, playroom, or even bedroom at home. She was completely in love with it and felt she could just stay there for hours playing.

"You're definitely new to our little book store, aren't you?" Bella stated as she brought Alice the book she wanted.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah, sorry to say. You just have that sense of wonderment in your eyes being up here. Most of our regulars just head up here and play a little before they return downstairs and to being adults again."

"You actually have grown people come up here and play? Without kids?" Alice asked, incredulous.

"Of course. Wouldn't you? It's great up here, isn't it? This area isn't just for kids. It's for a person's inner child too. We adults all need to let it all hang out and act like kids once in a while. It's good for the soul. I come up here myself whenever I can. It's freeing and fun, even if I just sit back and watch the real kids at play.," Bella professed.

"It really is an incredible place. I'll have to come here and relieve stress once in a while. Seems like a great place for it."

"It is. I can attest to that," Bella said enthusiastically. "Uh, here's your book." Bella held it out for Alice to take. "If you want the more brightly colored version, we have that too."

"Wow, it's exactly the one I had when I was a kid and my mom used to read to me all the time," Alice observed, just then having remembered the memory. She wanted to keep the book now.

"Yup, had the same one too. I hope whomever you'll be giving it to will enjoy it just as much as we did when we were kids. I loved how the caterpillar ate all that random food, but in the end the simple leaf was always the best and most delicious for him. There's a lesson in that tale," Bella mused.

"No doubt. Um, thank you so much for this. You're simply wonderful at this job," Alice stated honestly. "I can already tell you have a love for the books and is genuinely good with the people. All those customers wouldn't have been coming up to you earlier if you weren't." She garnered a blush from Bella.

"Uh, thanks for saying so. I do love my job. If that's all for you, I can help check you out downstairs."

"That'll be great. Actually, I wanted to take a breather in the cafe. The sign said it had the most delicious cupcakes. Do you know anything about those?"

Bella blushed again, which Alice didn't quite understand, but she didn't dwell on it too much. Bella muttered, "Oh, I don't know. They are good. People do rave about them and the cafe gets tons of accolades for them."

"Well, that sounds like right up my alley. I've got to try them. I'm quite the connoisseur of food y'know. Since I'm a newbie with these renowned cupcakes, care to guide me. Uh, that is if you could take a break now."

Bella gave Alice one of her patented warm smiles then said, "Uh, yeah. I could use a breather. Let's get you checked out, then how about some coffee and cupcakes?"

"Wonderful. I'm Alice, by the way," Alice introduced herself and held out her hand to shake. Bella shook her hand and again Alice received that same tingly feeling she had felt when she first met Rosalie. A wide smile formed. It just confirmed what Alice already knew.

"Forgive me for saying this, but do you get the feeling that we're suppose to become friends?" Bella asked out of the blue as she and Alice headed back down from the children's area.

Alice smiled big then uttered, "I have to admit, I like your style Bella. I think we'll become great friends." Bella returned her smile.

Moments later, the two girls were laughing at one another's stories, amidst Alice's moans of satisfaction from the cafe's delicious cupcakes. They were very good.

"Oh my God. This is just about one of the best things I've ever eaten. I've got to compliment the baker and get the recipe," Alice uttered.

"Well, you're sitting right in front of her," the cafe server said as she refilled Alice and Bella's coffees.

Bella became wide-eyed then blushed gloriously. Her secret was out.

"You?" Alice exclaimed in surprise. "Oh, now I get the embarrassment over the cupcake raves. You're pretty humble, aren't you? Well, girl, you deserve all the accolades. These are simply amazing. You think you can let me in your secret?"

"I'm glad you like 'em so much. Coming from someone with your cooking background, it's really a great compliment. And I have no secret really. I just follow my Grandma Swan's old world recipes. She's really the one that deserves all the praise."

"I don't know about that. Something tells me that you've taken these Grandma Swan's recipes and turned them into something completely yours," Alice praised. "Tell me you'll teach me how to make them."

"I'd be happy too."

"Great. It's a date." Then both girls chuckled.

The server, who was still hanging around their table, chimed in, "I bet she didn't tell you either that she's the owner of this fine establishment."

"Well, that would explain how you're baking these amazing cupcakes. So, you own this cafe, but work in the bookshop too?" Alice inquired.

It was the server's turn to laugh. "Honey, she owns this whole damn place. If it weren't for her the Little Book Nook wouldn't exist nor would it be this successful. And y'know, the girl needn't be here to work. She can just run the operation, but every damn day she comes and bakes her cupcakes and works in the store. She's a great person. Don't you think?"

"Definitely. Bella, why didn't you tell me?" Alice said almost petulantly.

The server answered for Bella, "Because the gal is as humble as apple pie. Not many of the regulars even know that she owns the place." Bella blushed some more. The server then bent low to Alice and said to her aside, but still loud enough for Bella to hear across the table, "But the girl is absolutely married to her work. She needs a social life, that one. Maybe you could help?" Both Alice and the server giggled.

Bella cleared her throat, then whined, "I'm still sitting here." Alice and the server continued to giggle. Bella then ordered the server away, "Thank you, Gail. Don't you have to get back behind your counter or something? I think we're good with everything right now. You should go. You don't have to be hounding my new friend, Alice."

"Nice meeting you, Gail," Alice remarked and waved as Gail sauntered away, but not before she gave Alice a wink.

"Don't mind her. Gail is just...she's just..."

"Looking out for you," Alice finished for Bella. "No worries. She's sweet. "

"Uh, huh. A bit too nosy and meddlesome, though," Bella remarked.

"Well, something tells me she has the right idea for you. You're an amazing person, Bella. I could already see that. And look at what you've done with this shop. It's great. I commend you. You deserve to be with someone."

"Oh, I don't know about that. I'm fine with the way things are. Don't let Ms. Gail fool you. I do date and have a social life. I just don't find it to be the most important part of my life."

Alice just smiled back at her new friend, letting the comment lie. She realized that Bella reminded her a lot of a female version of Jasper, when she first met him. Very friendly and exuding warmth, but at the same time, married to their work, or in Jasper's case, his passion for history, and typically non-committal. It was probably why they hit it off the bat.

Alice believed more than ever that Bella was made for Edward. Alice and Edward had similar personalities, even though Riley was her actual twin. Alice liked to think that there was some cosmic mix-up; otherwise, Edward should've really been her twin instead. Out of her other brothers, it was Edward that always got along the best with Jasper, too. So, it was only reasonable to think that Edward would be the perfect guy for someone such as Bella. Lost in her own thoughts, Alice couldn't help but beam and Bella looked upon her strangely.

"What are you thinking of? You suddenly got all Joker on me," Bella said.

Alice chuckled before answering, "Sorry. Nothing really. It just occurred to me that you remind me of someone. I think that's why we get along famously," Alice explained.

"Only good I hope."

"Oh yes. All good," and she raised her coffee cup in cheers to Bella. Bella tapped her coffee cup to Alice's.

They continued to talk and got to know one another better. They found that they had a lot in common and they really did get along very well. Alice wheedled the recipe for the chocolate chip cupcake she had been eating before she realized how much time had gotten away from her chatting it up with Bella. Alice made plans to be at the book store again after class the next day and Bella promised a different cupcake for Alice to try and a new cupcake recipe. Alice left the shop with a bounce in her step.

Alice definitely liked this girl. If Edward didn't realize what a truly amazing gem he had in Bella, then he was a bigger fool than Alice could've ever imagined and deserved to wind up alone and drinking himself to oblivion. Even if things didn't work out between Edward and Bella, which was highly unlikely in Alice's book, she knew that she had met another best friend for life.

Now, Edward was taken care of. It was time for Alice to step up her game and find Riley's match. Alice felt it ironic that amongst her brothers, Riley was the one that she needed to find the match for the most, considering how he kept her on her toes diffusing all his attempts at getting inside girl's panties; however, he was the one she still hadn't found a match for.

Alice went to bed that night praying that tomorrow would be the day that she found Riley's girl and then everything would move forward. She could not wait for her brothers to meet her girls and the girls meet their future mates. Alice would greatly enjoy how it all unfolds.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** OMG, no Bree yet. She's a coming, though. Going to give a little back story and history lesson first. Another important piece to the overall puzzle.

Again, sorry for the unpredictable updates. My life is unpredictable, especially with a 4 mo. old baby, and then 4 other children of various ages. Sometimes it'll be a wonder that I'm even able to update at all. Don't hold it against me.

See you guys next chappie.


	22. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Oh, I'm such a liar aren't I? I promised this to you loyal readers when...Saturday? Forgive me, please. I never mean to flounce or be a failure. Like I said before, my life—UNPREDICTABLE. Circumstances beyond my control popped up and I wasn't able to get this or the other chapter out like I had hoped and planned. Sunday was family fun day because the husband had to leave for a week-long business trip, so again my time wasn't my own. Believe me, it kills me just as much when things don't work out with updating like I want them to—I actually shed tears over failing to update and everyone in my family knew that mommy was not a happy camper.

On a bright note, the husband is gone for a week-long business trip, which means I'll have more freedom to keep writing and updating constantly. He won't be here to nag me and get on my case. So, here's this chapter and the next. And, if we're lucky, another one may be on the way also. Depends if the kiddies can stay out of my hair today. Bought them donuts, so that might help.

**GO AHEAD AND CHEW MY LYING ASS OUT**

**IN A REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20: The Trouble With Having Womanizing Brothers and Attractive Friends <strong>

"_Womanizer"_

_by Britney Spears_

_Superstar, where you from, how's it going?  
>I know you, gotta clue whatcha doing<br>You can play brand new to all the other chicks out here  
>But I know what you are, what you are, baby<em>

_Look at you, getting more than just a re-up_  
><em>Baby you, got all the puppets with their strings up<em>  
><em>Faking like a good one, but I call 'em like I see 'em<em>  
><em>I know what you are, what you are, baby<em>

_Womanizer, woman-womanizer, you're a womanizer,_  
><em>Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby<em>  
><em>You you you are, you you you are<em>  
><em>Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (womanizer)<em>

Alice's phone beeped the reminder of Angela's birthday. She sighed. She had been meaning to take care of removing that reminder. She wondered how many more she needed to start deleting from her phone and computer that she had neglected to do.

It would be of no use for Alice to greet her ex-best friend, Angela. Angela didn't want to hear from her and had it made very clear to Alice that their long-time friendship was over.

Alice remembered the day she clearly envisioned losing Angela as a friend. She was powerless to stop the events from happening, though. Try as she might to reach out to Angela in the early days after the disaster, Angela was no longer willing to salvage their friendship.

It had all began with Alice's brothers hitting puberty. It was then she realized that she had three brothers that were all quite attractive in their own rights. They only got more handsome with age. With her brothers' attractiveness came the endless stream of girls that had turned their personal lives into a revolving door. The Cullen boys never had trouble getting girls and this included Alice's friends. There were no shortage of Alice's girlfriends that clamored to be dating one of her brothers and that made girlfriends go in and out of her life constantly as well.

No matter how she tried to prevent her brothers from dating her friends or from losing the friendships, her efforts were always fruitless. Alice was pretty much damned both ways. If her brothers dated her friends, and Alice used the term loosely, then when their relationships ended, well, so did Alice's. Things always became awkward after one of Alice's girlfriends became an ex of one of her brothers.

If her brothers didn't date one of her friends, then the friends wondered what was wrong with them, which became a problem, or they blamed Alice for standing in their way of becoming one of her brothers girls. They also blamed Alice for not hooking them up with her brothers. Either way, the friendship was doomed.

It wasn't really her brothers faults that they seemed irresistible to girls. However, in Alice's mind, having such attractive siblings was more like a curse than a blessing.

Things only worsened as she and her brothers grew older. High school had been particularly horrid and her brothers womanizing ways not only affected her friendships, but it began to affect her own personal life.

First off, Alice developed a mistrust of girls. After being party to several girls only wanting to be friends with her because of her brothers, she questioned the motives of any girl that became friendly with her. You can imagine that it didn't exactly endear her to many of the other high school girls.

Secondly, with the Cullen boys famous dating reputations preceding them, being that she was their sister, guys would get false impressions of her. She was more often than not lumped in with her brothers, despite her own behavior being to the contrary. Boys thought she might just be the female version of a womanizer, a man-eater, because why would she behave any different from her brothers. She was either largely liked or disliked because of that false impression. Some also thought her to be _easy_, because her brothers were basically manwhores, and again, how could she be any different. Because of all this, dating was pretty much hellish. At least, her brothers were around to protect her.

Alice didn't fare much better with the girls that had those same preconceived notions of her. Therefore, this added to the difficulty of making friends.

Because of her brothers playboy ways, Alice did have it rough. Despite this, Alice was still determined to make friends apart from her brothers and in spite of their despicable behaviors. She didn't have it easy whatsoever. Something always eventually happens after her girlfriends are introduced to her brothers, and it wasn't as if she could keep the girls apart from her brothers. They always eventually met, even unwittingly.

No matter how many times she had fought with her brothers because of this issue and how many times her brothers apologized and promised to not have it ever happen again, it always ended up happening. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen were sympathetic to Alice's plight, but there wasn't much they could do.

As much as they would've loved to control their sons' personal lives, their sons were each their own persons, and it would be wrong for them as parents to intervene. Now, while they didn't approve of their sons' behaviors, and had let their feelings known about it on several occasions, their sons were grown and free to make their own decisions, as long as they weren't really hurting anyone-well, that point was arguable. Yes, the boys' were exhibiting destructive behavior, but Mom and Dad Cullen were at a loss as to how to help. They hoped that in due time they'd see the error of their ways, or find nice young women to settle down with; after they had an excellent role model in their own parent's marriage.

Alice had just learned to get used to it. She didn't necessarily fault her brothers for what occurred with her girlfriends. Ultimately, Alice knew that it was all about personal choices. With the loss of the friendships, neither she nor the friend ever really worked on trying to weather the storm and keep the friendship in tact. They would both just let it slip away. So, Alice felt that she was just as much at fault with losing her girlfriends as her brothers were for helping to drive them away.

Angela Webber had been one of Alice's tried and true friends. She had stuck by Alice ever since they had met in junior high school, when all the problems started. As Angela grew and developed, there was interest in her from amongst Alice's brothers, particularly Riley. However, Angela always warded off Riley's advances. She just wasn't interested, no matter how attractive or persuasive Riley was. They had made it through the rough patches in high school together and remained friends even through college and being miles apart. Angela had been the first that Alice had told about her crush on Jasper, and the first to support Alice and congratulate her when Alice finally got together with Jasper. Alice thought that she and Angela would be friends forever.

That was until a little over a year ago, shortly before Alice found out she had gotten pregnant, when things fell apart with their friendship. Angela had been determined not to become a notch on Riley's bedpost, despite him still hitting on her after all these years. That went all out the window one night, one drunken night to be exact, when Angela was vulnerable because of a recent break-up and Riley offered his shoulder to cry on and was saying all the right words to Angela. He took her back to her place and finally bedded the girl that had evaded him for years. When Alice got wind of it, it was too late; the deed was done. Alice's visions did work in mysterious ways.

As was Riley's M.O., after sleeping with Angela, she became nothing to him. Angela realized fairly quickly that she had merely been a conquest and their night together was a big mistake.

Alice's friendship with Angela suffered greatly after that. Whether out of guilt, embarrassment, or anger, Alice didn't know exactly, but Angela just stopped being friends with Alice all together. Attempts to call and talk to Angela were fruitless. Texts and emails were left unanswered. Even letters were returned to Alice unopened. Angela just dropped out of Alice's life with no real explanation. After a while, Alice took the hint and they hadn't spoken since. It hurt Alice greatly that Angela was gone from her life. Alice could have really used Angela's support when she went through the whole Jasper debacle. Well, as they say, "Que Sera, Sera." *

_**~*APB*~**_

Emmett, Riley, Edward, and Jasper were at Jasper's favorite bar drinking beer and playing a round of pool. Ever since Edward had that talk with Jasper in this same bar that one day, the brothers had put aside their differences with Jasper and started to work at repairing their lost friendship. This meant spending time with Jasper. Before Jasper abandoned Alice, he was actually good friends with the guys and they all had gotten along well. The brothers needed to find their common ground again with Jasper if they were going to help him win back Alice.

Needless to say, things hadn't started out in the best of ways. Hot headed Riley was able to finally give Jasper that punch in the face that he had wanted to give him for the longest time. Riley felt much better afterward, but his stunt didn't exactly help things.

Emmett took it upon himself to give Riley his own knuckle sandwich and Jasper and Riley now sported matching bruised jaws. It took one hell of an explanation to Alice when she found Riley beat up again and let's just say that Edward and Emmett could still feel the sting of Alice's hand as she slapped them both for brawling once again. Edward got slapped for not preventing Emmett and Riley from fighting. The boys swore that Alice must've seen what had happened between Emmett and Riley and practiced her slapping skills, because it damn well hurt as much as any of their fists. Jasper just had to laugh at the pair of Emmett and Edward with Alice's hand print across their faces. Boy, were they a sorry bunch with Alice completely having them all by their balls.

Things between the brothers and Jasper were tense; they seemed to be guarded with him. However, the important thing was they were starting to fall back into a comfortability around one another. There had been no more fist fights and they've started hanging out and getting along just like old times. The brothers had to get along with Jasper anyways if they were going to make good on their promise to bring Alice and Jasper back together.

Pool and a round of beers tonight was without incident and the guys were really starting to talk and let their guards down. They were all actually having a good time with one another.

It's unsure how they all drifted to the topic of Alice's lost friends. But, that was what the discussion came to. Jasper was trying to get caught up on events.

"So, let me get this straight. Angela and Alice aren't friends any more because it was all Riley's fault?" Jasper asked for clarification. He really hadn't known what happened between Angela and Alice, just that when he left, they weren't speaking, and only now was getting the story.

"Yeah, I admit it. It was my bad," Riley admitted. "I fucked Angela and then things went to hell between her and Alice after that, but really it was fucking Angela that walked away from Alice. So, shouldn't it be her fault? The girl stopped talking to little sis and Alice to this day doesn't know exactly why. It may have nothing to do with me at all."

"Yeah right. We all know Angela stopped being friends with Alice because after fucking her, you stopped talking to her," Emmett chimed in. "Staying friends with Alice would just have been a constant reminder of your dumping ass and not to mention all the awkward social situations that could ensue."

"Hey, she knew the deal when we slept together," Riley defended. "I don't really do relationships. Besides, you're not exactly innocent either. How many of her friends have you been responsible for driving away, huh?"

"I'm not. I admit it. I did my fair share of fucking up her own relationships with her friends, but at least I wasn't the one that drove her best friend for the longest time away," Emmett replied.

"Oh, I don't think we'd want to be comparing notes in that regard. I think we've all fucked up pretty badly with Alice's friends. Riley take your shot," Edward piped up, as he chalked up his cue once more.

"Says the guy who messed around with her friend, Heidi, after she begged you not to," Jasper retorted.

"She told you about that?" Edward was surprised.

"Actually, I think I know about all of them practically. At least, all the big ones-Angela, Heidi, Maggie, Donah, Delilah, Anna, Terri, Mary Jane, Evie, Grace...I could go on and on. She would talk to me about them," Jasper explained, as he lined up his shot.

"Delilah, huh? That's a pretty name. She sounds hot. Which one of us slept with her?" Emmett threw out the question.

Edward, Riley, and Jasper just looked amongst one another and then began to laugh. Emmett, for as smart as he is, was clueless sometimes.

"What?" Emmett exclaimed.

"You," all three other men said in unison.

"Me? What about me?" Emmett wondered what exactly was he missing out on.

"You slept with Delilah," Edward began. "You thought she had a pretty name to go with her pretty little self back then, too. And you couldn't wait to tap that."

"Fuck. No way?" Emmett said in amazement. Edward, Jasper, and Edward just nodded at him.

"Yeah, I'd remember if I had a Delilah in my little black book. That is a cool name and if I recall correctly she was hot. Brunette, great tits, fine ass, always wore tight jeans and tank tops. I was always a bit jealous that Emmett got to her first."

"And you guys even fucking remember these details? Shit. I can't remember half their names now," Emmett confessed.

"Because out of the three of us, you're the guy that has screwed the most of Alice's girlfriends. I had Angela and like two or three others. You're the one that even started the whole thing, bro. But, it makes sense. You are the oldest," Riley chimed in with a laugh. "I believe we were in sixth grade and you were an eight grader, you kissed her friend...I think her name was Kelly, cause you thought she was cute or something, and that started it all."

"Fuck. Are you sure about that little bro? What about Edward?" Emmett was perplexed.

Edward looked up from lining up his shot at the pool table and remarked, "You don't want to be going there, man."

"In Edward's defense, he did date a lot of the girls, not just fucked then dump 'em," Jasper interjected.

"And what the hell do you mean by that?" Riley's tone was harsh. Anger was starting to boil up inside of him. He took Jasper's words as a personal attack against him specifically. "Edward gets more of a free pass because he _dated_ them first. Whatever the fuck that's supposed to say. I think he's worse, cause he led them on, before he fucked them then dumped 'em, as you say."

Edward chucked his shot bad upon hearing Riley's rant. He shot back, "Fucking Ry. I told you guys you don't want to be comparing notes on this matter. We've all made a mess of things."

Just then Emmett asked out of the blue, "Isn't Alice still friends with Maggie?" Edward glared at him.

"Uh, that would be a negative, Emmett. After Edward here turned her into his fuck buddy, Alice kind of lost all respect for her, so they're civil, but they're not exactly friends anymore," Jasper took it upon himself to answer.

"Jesus," Edward exclaimed, running his hands through his hair. He said a series of curses under his breath. "Well, she can be friends again with Maggie if she wants. Maggie and I are over. She pretty much dumped me. She said she found a guy and is really happy."

"That should make Alice happy," Emmett added. "But probably a little too late, bro."

"Fuck you," Edward spat back.

"No thanks. I know where your dick has been," Emmett stated laughing and garnering a laugh from Riley and Jasper as well.

"You're one to talk," Edward said dryly. "It's your turn by the way. Instead of commenting on my cock, why don't you just sink a ball."

"So, I really have had the most indiscretions with Alice's friends?" Emmett asked, as he lined up his shot.

"Yes," all three other guys said in unison.

"Well, if you can't even remember their names, Em, that says something," Edward added.

Emmett snickered then countered, "Like you do, E."

"Uh, yeah, I do. What makes you think I don't? I remembered Delilah and you," Edward countered.

"Doesn't count. You guys recall Delilah because of her unique name," Emmett began to whine.

"Besides Maggie and Heidi, there was only eight others I dated of Alice's friends, Em, and that's going all the way back to junior high. That's a pretty low average in my book. And, yeah, I remember each of their names and even the details," Edward disclosed. "And like Jazz said, I wasn't a fuck then dump type of guy, so again bodes for my low average. I didn't even fuck the first chick, Anna. Probably because we were both too young. I was in ninth grade and she was Alice's classmate and friend. She wanted to go steady and I didn't and she ran off crying. She then stopped speaking to Alice. Later find out that she blamed Alice for not making me go steady with her. Pffft...as if. So, between me and Riley here, we've only been responsible for like driving away twelve of Alice's friends." Edward looked to Jasper for confirmation, since he figured Jasper would know each of their counts.

"Sounds about right. Okay, you've all proven that your major fuck-ups," Jasper started after sinking the eight ball. "It's a wonder that Alice even still talks to you guys. This one has messed with so many of her friends that he can't even recall half their names," Jazz said as he pointed to Emmett with his cue. "This one drove her best friend since junior high away after a one night stand," and he pointed to Riley. "And you, Edward, I think is mainly responsible for having Alice drop her friendships instead of the other way around. Maggie wasn't the only one of your exes that Alice had lost respect for. We've established that it's the way you guys operated. The question is now, what are you guys going to do about it? She's got no girlfriends now that you guys know of, right?"

"You're right, Jazz. Like I've told you, we've been major fuck ups and have hurt Alice. That's why we're going to make amends by getting you two back together," Edward asserted.

"Well, she may have friends. But, I won't be surprised if she's chosen to keep them away from us. Knowing our track record," Riley added.

"Do you think that bringing her and Jazz back together is enough to pay for our indiscretions?" Emmett asked.

"No. That's why we should make a pact that Alice's friends are off-limits. That's if she ever decides to introduce them to us ever again. Can't say I'd blame her if she doesn't," Edward declared.

Emmett whined, "But, Alice always has hot friends. She's just a hot chick magnet. Why do you think we keep fucking them?"

Riley and Edward looked to each other and rolled their eyes collectively. Emmett shrugged off their response.

"Doesn't matter. It's about time we stop thinking with our dicks and think with our heads. We love Alice. We can't keep doing that to her," Edward stated.

The other three men just nodded. It was a silent agreement between the brothers.

Jasper then voiced, "All right. Enough with the chick talk. I believe Edward and I won this round of pool. So, we're catching up. Let's rack 'em up and see who buys the next round."

Emmett and Riley ordered up the next round of beers while Edward and Jasper worked to rack up the balls again. They got their beers and chalked their cues. No more discussions on the brothers past indiscretions with Alice's friends were had, the subject effectively dropped.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN**: Chapter 21 teaser:

"_Excuse me, but do you have some problem with me?" The exotic woman finally asked, wary of the tiny woman that was simply staring at her._

The moment some of you have been waiting and waiting for-Alice and the Exotic Flower.

*****Just in case you weren't aware, "Que Sera Sera," is a song from the Alfred Hitchcock film, _The Man Who Knew Too Much_. Doris Day sang it and it basically just means: Whatever will be, Will be. My mom used to tell me it all the time when I was growing up and that's why I have a point of reference. If you want to know more—Wiki it.


	23. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

A/N: You've already heard my excuses and my admission that I'm such an update liar. I'll just get you to reading the chapter.

**JUST DO ME A FAVOR**

**READ AND REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 21: Alice and the Exotic Flower<strong>

"_You Are So Beautiful"_

_by Babyface_

_You are so wonderful  
>You are so wonderful<br>So beautiful, so beautiful  
>You are so beautiful<br>To me_

Alice sat down on a bench in the hospital's courtyard, happy to be off her feet. She had been feeling particularly worn out lately and her father suggested that she contact her cardiologist and come into the hospital for some tests. She had dismissed the sudden onset of extreme fatigue to working hard in school and stress (not to mention the mission she undertook) and said she should be fine after taking time to get more rest; however, as both a father and a doctor, Carlisle was worried and insisted that Alice get the testing done, so he could ease his worries when they find out she's fine and just do need more rest. Alice acquiesced and that was why she was here.

She glanced at her phone clock and found that she still had 30 minutes left before she could head inside and retrieve her test results. They were already being rushed. Having her father as one of the chief doctors on staff at the hospital did have its benefits.

Afterward, Alice planned on meeting Rosalie and Bella for lunch at a nearby restaurant. It had become one of their favorite places to eat because of the variety it offered and they each could satisfy their varying tastes in meals. Plus, the food was excellent and Alice personally knew the chef, one of her culinary school professors.

Alice was very happy and appreciative that Rosalie and Bella had gotten along when she first introduced them to one another. It was important for her mission that they did, since essentially, if things all went according to plan, they would be spending a lot more time together. It would bode much better if they were on good terms, instead of just trying to act civil whenever they were around each other.

It was also important to Alice for her friends, especially for her two newest best friends, to get along. She didn't want to be doing things with them separately. It would be much easier on Alice as well if they all did things together, and it would certainly be more fun. It was better if they all became like sisters, because if Alice's mission becomes a success, they literally would be all sisters in a sense. Alice could only hope that when she found Riley's perfect match, that she would also be compatible with her and her other two friends, and that soon, they'd already be like one big, happy family.

Alice's day had already been a long one and it was only mid-morning. After lunch with Rose and Bella, she still had to attend a lecture class. She was debating on the actual importance of attending said class, because she really didn't feel like going. Even if she didn't go home, she would've loved to waste the day away at Bella's book shop. She'd much rather watch kids at play in the book store than be sitting in an assembly hall listening to a boring lecture.

Alice felt the swoosh of the hospital's sliding glass doors leading out to the courtyard open and she instinctively turned to take a look. A few hospital workers walked out in their scrubs ready for a smoke break. She hoped that they wouldn't smoke too close to where she was sitting for she abhorred the smoke. She didn't fault smokers for their addiction, she just couldn't stand to be around them. Besides, inhaling the smoke was not good for her heart condition-she didn't need to tax her lungs, which in turn would tax her heart. It was why she never went out to smoke-filled bars or clubs. Only smoke-free environments for her. Alice was grateful when the smokers did move far away from the building to smoke.

Alice felt the swoosh of the sliding glass doors again and again she turned her head to take a look. She didn't know why exactly. It wasn't as if she was expecting her father, let alone anyone else she knew, stroll out into the courtyard to join her; however, she just couldn't help herself. A nurse in cute, little pink scrubs, her top having teddy bears all over it, walked out into the courtyard, carrying a candy bar. Alice watched as the nurse sat down on one of the low walls, seemingly to take a breather, as she fiddled with her candy bar.

Alice looked the nurse up and down, trying to discern if she knew her. Alice had hung around the hospital enough to know many of the staff. This nurse, however, she had never met before, although Alice figured that the nurse must work for pediatrics or maternity, judging from the type of scrubs she wore.

The one thing Alice did know was that this nurse was beautiful. She had exotic features, with her raven hair neatly tied in a pony-tail, flawless olive skin, and eyes of deep blue which Alice couldn't reconcile belonged to someone like her. But, my, was the girl stunning with her dark hair and blue eyes. Alice couldn't help but stare. Another thing Alice couldn't reconcile was how such a beauty was a mere nurse. Alice thought of more suitable professions-model, pin-up girl, actress, or even a contestant in the Miss Universe pageant came to mind. Alice likened her to being an exotic flower.

Alice knew that ogling someone blatantly was wrong. However, Alice just couldn't tear her eyes away from the beautiful nurse.

The beautiful nurse eyed Alice a few times, for which Alice would immediately look away, embarrassed to be caught staring. However, once the nurse's attention was drawn to something else, Alice would go right back to looking at her with a sense of wonderment.

Alice knew that she looked at Rosalie and Bella in the same way when she first met those friends. There was a reason why she was fixated on this woman.

After a few minutes of knowing that Alice was staring at her, the exotic flower stood up from her perch on the wall. Alice thought that her staring had made the beautiful nurse uncomfortable and so she was leaving. Instead the beautiful nurse walked right up to Alice sitting on the bench.

"Excuse me, but do you have some problem with me?" The exotic woman finally asked, wary of the tiny woman that was simply staring at her.

Alice said sheepishly, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to ogle you like that, as if you're some animal in a zoo exhibit. I know I must've made you feel uncomfortable. Trust me, I meant no harm. I just couldn't help myself. Again, I apologize. Forgive me."

"Well, thanks for your apology. But why do you keep looking at me? Do we know one another or something?" The exotic flower inquired.

"No, I don't think so. I would've remembered you. I'm pretty good with faces you know," Alice answered.

"Then is there something the matter? Do I have something stuck to me? Chocolate in my teeth?" The exotic flower examined herself the best she could.

"No...no...please, it's my fault. You're just beautiful and different. I was just entranced," Alice stated honestly.

"Uh, well...I hate to disappoint you, but I'm, um, straight. But, thanks for the compliment," the exotic flower replied.

Alice started giggling and the exotic flower looked upon her like she came off the crazy train. When Alice composed herself after a beat, she explained, "Oh my. You got me all wrong. I'm sorry I wasn't hitting on you." She garnered a laugh from the beautiful nurse.

Alice continued, "Please...I'm not crazy. I just have an appreciation for beautiful women."

"Uh...okay," the exotic uttered.

"I might as well introduce myself. I'm Alice," and Alice held her hand out to shake. The exotic flower reluctantly shook Alice's hand.

Alice was hit with that special, tingly feeling again. The one she only felt two times before-when she met Rosalie and Bella. This was it. She met the final match. Riley's perfect mate. A conspiratorial, wide smile formed on Alice's face. In her mind, she was chanting, "I know something you don't know.".

The exotic flower, understandably, didn't know if she should introduce herself to this strange girl named Alice, but she did, "I'm Bree. Bree Tanner. Uh, nice to meet you."

When Bree said her name, Alice immediately envisioned Bree in Riley's arms and he calling out her name. It rolled off his tongue, like it was perfectly natural for him to be saying it.

Alice smiled widely. She knew her job was done now. She had found the girls that her brothers needed. It was time to move forward with her plans.

She only hoped that Bree would get along famously with Rosalie and Bella and they all could be great friends. It would just be Alice's bad luck that she'd find the last missing piece, but find that she didn't fit in well at all. However, Alice wanted to look to the positive side of things and be optimistic about Bree managing to be friends with her now two other best friends.

"Can you come sit with me? It's boring sitting out here all by myself. Do you have time? It was Alice's attempt to start getting to know Bree better.

"Uh...sure, I guess," Bree said hesitantly, but she sat down beside Alice.

"I'm nothing to worry about. Believe me. I think we'll get along just fine," Alice exclaimed enthusiastically.

"Uh, okay. If you say so," Bree muttered back. She still found Alice a bit on the strange side. It was nothing new to Alice.

They started in on some small talk and by the time it was time for both of them to head back into the hospital, they were making a lunch date for tomorrow. Alice was going to have to cancel brunch with Esme, but Alice knew it was for a good cause. Esme wouldn't really mind.

Alice left the hospital feeling right as rain. Things with her mission was falling into place. She couldn't wait for Rosalie and Bella to meet her newest friend, Bree.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Chapter 22—Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

Sorry again for the flouncing and update fail! I'm going to try and put the next one out before it turns midnight on the WC tonight. * fingers-crossed *

See you next chapter! Spread the word if you can about me & my stories.

If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm (at) randommama


	24. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:** Yeah, what's new? UPDATE FAIL! Even more so than before. But, between a husband that has come back from his business trip all needy & naggy, thunderstorms that caused power failures, internet connectivity problems, record heat that makes for hot & cranky kiddos especially a 4 mo old baby and doesn't allow for one to be in the sweltering computer room where temps reach into the mid 90's because our house has no A/C—well, you can imagine my difficulties.

But, I've never stopped writing. I'm just having a hard time getting to the updating stage. So, two chapters coming your way now and then still trying to work on getting the next ones typed out, so I can make up for my update failure. It's sweltering heat again today & it's only 9 AM my time, and my house is already at a hot 90 degrees (no lie)-we need to see about that A/C.

Well, I'm sure I've had readers flounce. Is there still one of you, at least, out there? Again, sorry for the sporadic updating. It's really beyond my control.

**YES, WILL BE GETTING TO REPLYING TO THE REVIEWS**

**MIGHT AS WELL ADD A FEW MORE TO THE PILE**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner<strong>

"_Guess Who's Coming To Dinner"_

_by Black Uhuru_

_Now that things have changed_

_Something make me realize what it takes_

_And how to be..._

_Guess who's coming to dinner..._

_Guess who's coming to dinner_

"I think you should come to Saturday's family dinner," Edward announced out of the blue.

"What?" Jasper squeaked out, his eyes grew wide almost to cartoon level size. "Why?"

"Well, think about it. I think it would be best to just surprise her. You know, catch her off-guard again. It worked before for you...at the library. I mean, she did hear you out after all. You guys might have actually talked. Worked some things out. That was until my brothers and I so rudely interrupted things," Edward continued.

Jasper chuckled to himself. "She listened to my babble. Unphased, by the way. I was caught off-guard too. Actually, she was trying to get rid of me. Utmost on her mind was to avoid a confrontation between me and you, Riley, and Emmett."

"You know, Alice is only avoiding you because she knows she can. You've been way too respectful with giving her this time and space. You're both just postponing the inevitable."

"So you propose I ambush her at your family dinner? Are you out of your mind?" Jasper looked at Edward incredulously.

"What would be wrong with it? She'll be forced to face the issue finally. The issue, of course, being the two of you. No more avoidance. It won't be like she'd have anywhere to go. The rest of us will be there to back you up. On top of that, you can apologize to my mom and dad, explain yourself, and promise my father that you'll be spending the rest of your life making things up to Alice and keeping her happy. Then all this ridiculousness between the two of you will be over and done with. She'll be back to being as happy as she used to be. Mission accomplished," Edward relayed.

"Excuse me for saying so, but I think either you've been working too hard on your book, or you're serious lack in the sexual department has fried your brain," Jasper stated.

Edward narrowed his eyes at Jasper. He didn't particularly enjoy his comment.

"I'm not crazy. If you just think about it, it's a good course of action," Edward said rather annoyed.

Jasper chuckled. "Are you kidding me? I pull a stunt like that and I'm likely to lose Alice forever. Not to mention get out of there with all my precious parts in tact."

Edward conceded, "It's a bit drastic, I admit." Jasper nodded in agreement. "But, nows the time to take drastic action. How much longer do you plan to wait her out? You've already loss precious time. Who knows when she's going to be ready to deal with you? There's going to be no one else for you but her, right? Don't you want to start living your lives together again? Instead of wasting any more time?"

"Well, you got me there. But, I can't just surprise her like that," Jasper replied.

"If you decide right now that you'll man up and do it, then I don't think it'll be a surprise at all."

"Huh?"

"Just don't worry about it. Say you'll come and I'll help take care of things, okay? I'll even feel Alice out with the idea before you just show up on the doorstep."

"What about your dad, Edward? He must hate me. How could he ever welcome me again in his home?"

"Well, you're in luck, because dinner is going to be over at our house this time. Alice is cooking."

"Oh, I miss Alice's cooking," Jasper confessed. "If it weren't for her, I'd probably had been spending all my time eating out or just eating the staples like toast, ramen noodles, and tuna fish. The year apart from her has been hell on my stomach."

"So, you're going to go then?" Edward asked.

"You really think I should?" Jasper asked back.

"I just think it's time for us brothers to finally give back to Alice after everything she's done for us, even to her own detriment. If this is what it's going to take to give you two the push you need to get back on track then so be it. You know, we've tried to bring up the topic of you and her on several occasions. She basically just shuts us down. Says she's too busy to have to deal with you and her right now, and she thinks she knows how we feel about the whole thing, when really she doesn't realize we've had a change of heart. So, this might be the best way," Edward explained.

"What does Riley and Emmett think?" Jasper questioned.

"Well, they want to be over this mission of ours. They still don't like you very much. If it means getting you back together with Alice as soon as possible would get you out of their own hair, then they're down for anything," Edward answered.

"But what do I do when I show up on your doorstep? What do I say? I won't know how to act? How do I talk to your mom and dad? And Alice? How would I get her to even listen to me and not throw me out on my ass?" Jasper suddenly had a ton of questions.

Edward laughed. "Hey, I'm just here to give you the invitation and am opening the door, so to speak. The rest is up to you. You're a smart enough guy. I'm sure you'll figure all of it out."

"Then I can't," Jasper started to utter.

"Yeah, you can. You'll figure things out. That's why you've got a week to get ready. And let me just say that it better be damn good. Dinner's at seven," Edward said as he made to stand up and patted Jasper on the back. "I gotta go. I got to get back to my editor. I'll be sure to let everyone know to be expecting you."

"Edward...you shouldn't..I...," Jasper stuttered.

"You'll be okay. Don't forget, seven sharp. Hey, thanks for lunch, man. See you Saturday," Edward said, patted Jasper on the back again, and then was gone.

Jasper looked to Edward's retreating form and sighed loudly. He didn't know what he had gotten himself into. He was wholly unprepared to face Alice again, let alone her parents. He held his face in his hands. Well, he did have a week to make up a damn good speech and make the best impression of his life.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** Um, here's the teaser for the next chapter:

"_Sure enough her brothers did not disappoint as they took the court together, all looking very model-esq in their gym gear. They really did look like they just came off an ad in Men's Health and Alice couldn't help but smirk. They exceeded even her own expectations and Alice knew how much sexier they'd look to her girls once the game was in full swing. Damn them for being her brothers because she wasn't going to be getting the exact enjoyment like her friends were going to get by ogling them."_

We'll be getting to that dinner part later. This was just the prelude.


	25. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: ** This was one of the chapters I had fully written out ahead of time. It was actually one of the first scenarios that I dreamed up when this particular plot bunny came into my head. Mmmm...can you just imagine hot guys, Kellan, Rob, and Xavier running around a basketball court, shirtless, sweaty, and being oh so physical? What would've made this all the better was if Jackson was a part of it too—oh too bad...next time, maybe.

**DID I STIR UP SOME HOT, SWEATY FANTASIES OF SOME FINE MEN**

**MAYBE?**

**TELL ME IN A REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23: The Sweaty Set Up Ala Alice<strong>

"_Let's Get Physical"_

_by Olivia Newton-John_

_Oh, let's get physical, physical, I wanna get physical, let's get into physical  
>Let me hear your body talk, your body talk, let me hear your body talk<em>

_Let's get animal, animal, I wanna get animal, let's get into animal_  
><em>Let me hear your body talk, your body talk, let me hear your body talk<em>

Alice figured that she must have the best luck in the universe. Not only did Bree end up becoming like the missing piece with her new group of girlfriends, getting along quite well with both Rosalie and Bella and the four of them now becoming quite inseparable, but also all of the ladies were still single. In Bella's case, not necessarily interested or looking, but somehow Alice felt that once she laid eyes on Edward, that would all change for Bella.

It was time for her girls to meet her brothers. Well, sort of. They weren't actually going to have any face to face contact and the women weren't actually going to know that the men they would be watching were her brothers; however, her girls were going to see her brothers for the first time.

An integral step of Alice's plan was simply attraction. Alice needed to guarantee that her girls were going to be attracted to her brothers. Not that she felt that there would be any trouble. Her brothers weren't successful womanizers for no reason. However, Alice needed to know for certain that the right girl was going to be attracted to the right guy; otherwise, even her best laid out plans were going to be foiled.

Alice already knew that her brothers wouldn't have any trouble finding her girlfriends attractive. Rosalie, Bella, and Bree were all very beautiful in each of their own ways and all Alice needed to do was to present each girl to their prospective mate and her brothers would probably fall at their feet in worship at the goddess that stood before them. Well, it probably won't be that dramatic, but Alice knew that her girls wouldn't have any trouble attracting her brothers. Edward, Riley, and Emmett were just suckers for beautiful women and Alice hated to say it, but Bella, Bree, and Rosalie were the most beautiful of all the women she'd ever been friends with. Her girls were really about as beautiful as they come.

What was more important was that the gals had more than just physical beauty. They each had their own unique inner beauty as well.

Alice couldn't wait to introduce the ladies to her brothers. However, first, she needed to find out if there was even the tiniest bit of spark to work with in order to start the fires raging.

It didn't take much convincing on Alice's part to get the girls to spend a Saturday afternoon at the gym with her supposedly doing yoga together. The lure of guaranteed eye candy was just too good to pass up by her lady friends.

Bree was conveniently off shift that day. Bella left the shop for once in the capable hands of her manager and Rosalie shifted some appointments around in order to spend the time with the rest of the girls. It was the perfect opportunity for Alice to present some hard bodies to her friends.

What Alice was really doing was setting her brothers up to be ogled mercilessly by her friends. The girls, in turn, would have no idea who exactly they were going to start drooling over.

Alice had found out a few days before that the guys had set up a basketball game in the gym with some of their friends. It would be some male bonding time before her three brothers would no doubt work out their sexual frustrations by lifting weights and shit like that. That was what they'd been doing a lot of lately and Alice had to admit that their gym time was paying off in dividends. She'd never felt so good about cockblocking them, because now there was added benefits. All the more reason to introduce them to her girls now.

The basketball game was going to be the perfect opportunity. There would be other guys in the sample, so Alice could gauge her girlfriends reactions to the males before them. She could only hope that the right brother would even remotely attract the right girl and that the other guys in the game didn't even hold a candle to her brothers and thus, were non-factors. Emmett needed to get Rosalie's mouth watering. Edward had to stir up Bella's hormones. Riley needed to get Bree all hot and bothered.

There was no better environment than to have the girls watch the guys play their physically aggressive and highly competitive game, which Alice knew was the only way these group of guys played the game. Alice knew that watching hot, sweaty, highly attractive men playing this type of basketball could be very sexually stimulating to her girls and she was betting that her brothers could definitely ignite some lust in her girlfriends. This would just be the "in" she needed to get the ball rolling.

Alice had connections in the gym and so she was able to book the private yoga studio that overlooked the indoor basketball court on one side and on the other side the weight area of the gym. It was exactly the perfect room where her and her friends could ogle undetected. Of course, now, she owed her friend Felix a four course dinner for him and his wife, but that was a small price to pay for nabbing the room with the best view that she needed.

The four of them settled into the room a little before the basketball game was scheduled to start. The girls were already appreciative of the view; however, Alice told them that the best eye candy was yet to come. In the meantime, they went about doing random stretching exercises and following along to the yoga instructor on the TV, since Alice had put on one of the yoga DVD's that the gym provided. None of the ladies really needed the workout, but they all had fun doing it together. Of course, Alice had them all positioned right up to the plate glass windows that overlooked the indoor court, so they wouldn't miss the game when it started.

Alice looked at the clock purposefully and announced to the gals that a basketball game should be starting soon and that there was sure to be some good eye candy down on the court, per her experiences before. Their own workout was temporarily halted, the girls attentions now focused on the court below.

A few of the other guys, some of whom Alice recognized as her brothers' friends, walked out onto the court first and they were clearly no comparison to Alice's brothers in the physical attractiveness department. Alice thanked her lucky stars for that because it undoubtedly meant that the girls attentions were going to be focused on her three brothers alone. The girls were understandably disappointed at first, but Alice knew that once her brothers walked out, they would no longer be.

Sure enough her brothers did not disappoint as they took the court together, all looking very model-esq in their gym gear. They really did look like they just came off an ad in Men's Health and Alice couldn't help but smirk. They exceeded even her own expectations and Alice knew how much sexier they'd look to her girls once the game was in full swing. Damn them for being her brothers because she wasn't going to be getting the exact enjoyment like her friends were going to get by ogling them.

Emmett wore a tight muscle tee with the cut off sleeves that strained against his impressive pecs. Edward had on a tight wife-beater that barely covered his defined chest, back, and abs and showed off his broad shoulders and bulging guns. Riley had on one of those tight racing tees which clung to him like it was a second skin and one could see every inch of muscle definition of his great physique. All of the brothers wore shorts that slung low on their hips, highlighting their nice back sides and their impressive legs.

Alice waited patiently for the girls to notice and to hear their reactions. She couldn't wait to see if her plans had hope.

"Woohoo! Ladies, now we have true blue eye candy out on the court. Would you take a look at them?" Rosalie exclaimed, pointing out Emmett, Edward, and Riley who'd finally made their way onto the court and got into their positions for the game.

The game begun and the girls workout was now completely forgotten in favor of watching the game below. Particularly, the three handsome men that had caught all their attentions.

"Hello, eye candy!" Bree stated excitedly.

"About damn time," Bella added.

Bella's eyes grew wide as Alice noticed her gaze zero in on Edward. Alice grinned widely and Bella let out a soft moan and bit her lower lip. "Oh my God! That guy is so hot," Bella stated, showing the girls that she clearly meant Edward in all his tousled bronze hair glory.

"Yeah, he's cute enough," Rosalie said dismissively. Alice watched where Rosalie's eyes were trained and they were fixated on Emmett. "But, I'll take that one over there," she told the other girls, pointing out Emmett. "He's just so big and he's got those to die for dimples. Oh, how I love 'em football player types. Doesn't he look like he could be playing football?" Rosalie eagerly asked and everyone else nodded.

"Well, he's a bit large for my tastes. I'm wary of big men like that. He's got a great physique and all, but I'm a tiny little thing, so I'm afraid that I'll get crushed. But, oh, that one in the tight racing tee. Damn, he's fine. He's more my style," Bree enthused. "And, wow, look at that ass." She licked her lips when her gazed honed in on Riley's asset.

Alice remained silent, but was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. This had been much easier than she figured it would be. Not only did the girls didn't even bother to notice the other guys in the game, but they were clearly enamored with whom Alice needed them to be attracted to.

Alice only felt a slight tinge of guilt knowing that her brothers were being eyed like pieces of meat. There was also a certain "Ewww" factor in her mind as she continued to think about how the girls were probably undressing her brothers with their eyes and having all sorts of salacious thoughts. However, despite this, Alice wouldn't let it damper her utter joy in having her experiment go well.

Bella had remained very quiet all of a sudden and both Rose and Bree took a glance at her then back down on the court where Bella's eyes were completely trained on. They silently pointed her out to Alice and all three girls couldn't help but giggle. Bella had her body pressed up to the glass window as much as she could muster and her gaze was fixated on Edwards now sweaty form moving about on the court. She followed him like a hawk to its prey.

"Well, we all know how Bella definitely likes that one. Look, she's practically salivating over there staring at him," Rosalie said observantly, while still giggling. Both Alice and Bree nodded their heads in agreement.

"Um, Bella. So I guess you see one you really like." Alice joked in between bouts of giggling over Bella's obvious lusting after her brother, Edward. Of course, Bella didn't know yet that he was her brother.

Bella mumbled somewhat incoherently, "Hmm...mmm...he's got sex hair. Those piercing green eyes. Mmm...that body. And a million dollar smile. Did you see those abs when his tank rode up a bit? And, uggghhh, that V...deadly." She never once took her eyes off Edward.

"Oh, she's a goner...that one," Bree pointed out. The other girls agreed and giggled some more.

"Well, let her have her bronze-haired god over there. I like my man with much more meat on him. He's the stuff that make my panties wet," Rosalie proclaimed.

"And I've got my own idea of perfection right there. Oooh, will you look at him shoot that ball," Bree interjected, watching Riley the whole time.

Just to stir the pot, Alice muttered, "Um, okay. You guys clearly have your favorites out there on the court today. But what about the other guys? Aren't there any hotties amongst them? What about the guy with the goatee? Not so bad, right?"

Three pairs of eyes looked at her incredulously and just shook their heads at Alice. Alice rolled her eyes at them.

"Forgive her, for she knows not what she says. She still has her Jasper on her mind and that's why she can no longer appreciate hot stuff when it's right in front of her," Bree uttered to no one in particular.

"Pffft..." Alice responded back. The three girls went back to watching the game before them.

Truth be told, Alice was very satisfied with herself. Under her breath, so that no one else could hear, she was actually thanking her brothers for helping her girlfriends come undone like she had hoped.

If things couldn't possibly have gotten better, they did. For whatever reason that possessed them to, the guys ripped off their various shirts and tossed them aside, giving the girls above in the studio an eyeful of their half-naked physiques. Now, there was nothing to be left to their imaginations. They could see the guys' bodies in all its glistening with sweat glory and could really see their muscles pulse with the exertion of playing the game.

Alice watched as her friends' eyes got impossibly bigger and their jaws go slack from the view they were indulging in. She was actually worried that one of her friends might actually faint on her, as they all looked suddenly flushed. She was hoping it wouldn't be Bree, since she was the one with the medical knowledge. Alice was snapped out of her daze as she heard various profanities leave her friends' lips.

"Holy Mary motherfucking God! Thank the Christ!" Rosalie exclaimed.

Followed by Bree saying, "Holy shit! Fucking mercy!"

Then Bella uttered, "Fuck. Fuckity-fuck. Oh my God!" Her beautiful blush was apparent on her cheeks.

Alice was admittedly somewhat appalled. She was a church-going girl and to hear the Lord's name being taken in vain like that took her aback, but she held no disdain for her friends. She was mostly surprised that the words left their mouths. She had never heard them talk like that before. However, she understood. They were gawking at their very own all male revue out there and women tended to get a bit raunchy during instances like that. Well, sort of.

Alice expressed, "Well...well, who knew you guys could have such potty mouths?" They all looked at Alice sheepishly.

"Sorry Alice. I guess we forgot about your religiousness," Bella said in all honesty.

"Oh, no worries. Believe me, I'm not that devout," Alice responded dismissively and with a huge smile on her face. "But, hey, so I guess our mission today to spy hotties in the gym was accomplished. I'd say you gals were positively drooling over those guys out there on the court."

"Well, they are drool-worthy," Bree agreed.

"Nothing like some hot, sweaty, tatted boys, to get your day going," Rosalie chimed in.

"Tatted?" Alice muttered to herself quietly.

Shit! She had forgotten about her brothers matching Cullen family crest tattoos that were now all out in the open with them playing shirtless. If any of the girls looked closely enough to be able to decipher their tatts, then her cover was blown. Lucky for Alice, none of the girls were looking too closely. It was more about the overall package for all of them. Alice breathed a sigh of relief. Eventually, her friends were going to find out about her brothers, but now was just not the time.

They all stayed watching from their inconspicuous spot until the basketball game ended. From the way Emmett, Edward, and Riley were passing out high-fives, it seems their team won, much to the satisfaction of Alice's friends. Their athleticism just made them like them more. Afterwards, the group left the privacy of the room and headed over to the gym cafe. Apparently ogling attractive men blatantly took their toll on her friends and they needed to cool off with refreshments immediately. Alice made sure that her brothers were safely out of sight and there was no chance that they'd all accidentally run into one another. After they all got their refreshing smoothies, Alice herded the girls quickly into the women's locker room and subsequently out of the gym. She just barely avoided running into one of her brothers.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** How about a musical teaser for Ch. 24? _Cherry Pie_ by Warrant. I'll just leave it at that.

Oh, and if you want to chew me out about my update fail, you can tell me on twitter (at) randommama


	26. Chapter 24 Part 1

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: ** Who knew that writing 2500 words would be so difficult? Sorry readers for my epic update fail and review reply fail. I swear I * facepalm * myself when I realized how much time got away from me since my last update and in looking how many reviews I have left to respond to and how long it's taking me. I really didn't mean to let that happen. But, I can't exactly help it. I have 5 kids remember, one of which is a 5 mo. old baby, and well, it's hard for me to get some time in peace to concentrate on writing. I swear I write like two sentences and then my attention is otherwise diverted. If you follow me on twitter (or want to follow me-[at] randommama), I've been venting my sorrows over this exact problem of mine. Also, when you have a husband that doesn't support your writing at all, even though it is your passion-well, you can imagine it isn't exactly easy for me.

Anyway, I didn't want to be woe is me. I understand fully if readers flounce because of my failure to update quickly and regularly. But, if you're still bearing with me, or giving this story a chance, I appreciate it so much. Just know that I'm fully committed to finishing this and my other two WIP's. I'm giving it the best I've got.

Let's get on to the fun, shall we?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24: Alice's Covert Club Operation-Part 1<strong>

"_Cherry Pie"_

_By Warrant_

_I scream you scream  
>We all scream for her<br>Don't even try 'cause  
>You can't ignore her<em>

_She's my cherry pie_  
><em>Cool drink of water<em>  
><em>Such a sweet surprise<em>  
><em>Tastes so good<em>  
><em>Make a grown man cry<em>  
><em>Sweet cherry pie oh yea<em>

_She's my cherry pie_  
><em>Put a smile on your face<em>  
><em>Ten miles wide<em>  
><em>Looks so good<em>  
><em>Bring a tear to your eye<em>  
><em>Sweet cherry pie<em>

Alice was mad as hell. She saw what Edward had done, inviting Jasper to the next Saturday family dinner, and she didn't like it one bit. How dare he do that to her?

Alice had already known her brothers were up to something. That was evident the night she had come home to them all talking in the kitchen, before the first ever Saturday family dinner. She was bringing them some dessert crepes that she had just learned how to perfect in class and when she walked into the kitchen during the middle of their conversation, they were all looking at her strangely. That was the first sign that something was up. She also didn't miss the pointed looks that they all gave one another.

Alice hadn't known their plan until they started dropping hints about Jasper. She didn't think that her brothers could be so stupid as to think that she wouldn't have figured out as to what was going on with the way they were suddenly bringing him up in conversation. Then vision after vision started coming. She mainly pushed the visions aside, because she was too focused on her own mission.

It had taken Alice by surprise that her brothers had started to be friendly with Jasper again. She could never have predicted that happening. In a way, however, she was relieved that they had finally put aside their differences with Jasper and had given him another chance to once again be their friend. Edward, particularly, had been very close to her former beau. Alice had hated the fact that her brothers basically wanted to kill Jasper for having abandoned her during the pregnancy; however, she understood the motivation behind those feelings, but she still hated the fact that she was the cause of destroying their friendship with Jazz.

However, despite that, she still didn't like the fact that they were trying to help fix things with Jasper when she was clearly not ready to deal with him yet. She needed to accomplish her mission first, then she was going to repair her relationship with Jasper. That was her plan, how she envisioned things going initially, and generally the way she wanted things to happen. She couldn't concentrate on fixing her own love life when she was trying to fix the love lives of her three brothers But, now, Edward, Emmett, and Riley had interfered and her whole perfect plan got screwed.

Alice couldn't believe the irony of the situation. Here she was trying to matchmake her brothers, and there they were trying to get her back with the love of her life.

There was also some new development that Alice just recently found out about. The Denali sisters are the daughters of Sasha and Maxim Denali, long-time friends of Esme and Carlisle. They had always had crushes on Emmett, Edward, and Riley since Alice could remember, but her brothers had wisely never been interested, but they weren't above using the sisters to cater to their needs every now and again. These sisters never stopped throwing themselves on her brothers every chance they could get and poor, ignorant, Esme never stopped trying to pair her sons up with these supposedly angelic sisters whenever she could. The Denali sisters were no angels and they weren't at all the right kinds of girls for Alice's brothers. The Denali's didn't live in town, but the Denalis would come and visit Carlisle and Esme at least once a year, since it was more difficult for Esme and Carlisle to make the trek to Alaska, and it was just about that time of year for their annual visit. Alice found out though that this time the sisters were coming into town sans Sasha and Maxim; obviously, they had another motive for visiting. Since Esme didn't know about Alice's mission, Esme planned on embarking on a mission of her own, trying to match her sons with the available daughters of her best friend, because as Alice figured out, the Denalis asked. Alice knew that these sisters were just skanky enough to use Esme to try and get into her brothers' pants again.

Since when did Alice become a part of a family of love life meddlers? Alice briefly wondered what her mom and dad would've thought of everything if they only knew.

Well, Alice wasn't about to have anything derail her plans. She would deal with Jasper when Saturday came, but she currently had no time to waste with pushing her brothers and her newfound girlfriends together. With the Denali sisters now factoring into her mission, she had to adapt her plans, which really just meant that she had to move up her time line.

A Friday girl's night out was going to be another perfect opportunity for another one of her set-ups. It was also going to be a good time as well to exact some payback on her brothers for blindsiding her with the Jasper reconciliation.

~*APB*~

Riley had to work on Friday nights, but that wasn't going to be an issue. The club he worked at was more than decent for Alice's girls night out and it was a smoke-free environment, an added plus. It would do just fine for another one of Alice's little experiments.

It didn't take much for Alice to convince the girls to come out with her to Riley's club for an evening of drinks and dancing. They all wanted the time to relax and just have fun together as friends, and although Bree was going to be coming from work, she was looking forward to winding down the day with her girlfriends.

Alice had told Bella, Bree, and Rosalie to dress in their hottest clubbing outfits and from the vision she received shortly before actually meeting up with them, she knew they weren't going to disappoint. She also envisioned her girlfriends a bit tipsy, emboldened, and uninhibited, looking downright sexy with her brothers completely enraptured by them-exactly where she wanted them. That put a huge smile on her face and that already made her night, even though the festivities hadn't even begun yet. Alice knew that she'd greatly enjoy her brothers being somewhat tortured because as they would come to realize, these were her girlfriends they were eying lasciviously, and she knew all about their little pact of not repeating the mistakes of their past when it came to her friends.

It was going to be unlike her, but Alice already decided that she was going to toy with her brothers a bit. She was going to make them sweat and pretend that it wasn't okay with her for them to crush on her new friends. Then she was going to sit back and watch what they might do. Her brothers always had this problem of wanting it more what they couldn't have and it pushed them to find ways to get what they wanted. Again, they wouldn't have been such good womanizers if they didn't carry certain traits. She already knew that they didn't have a chance in hell of avoiding their attraction for her friends. Good times were certainly ahead.

Alice walked up to the front of the ever-growing line at TwiCity and was immediately shown in. It was one of the perks of having Riley working there. She sauntered in and made sure to show herself and wave to Riley, who was wiping down the bar, as she made her way to a table. He looked surprised to see her, just as Alice thought. Riley immediately put down his rag and followed Alice to her seat.

"Hey, Al. Didn't know you were coming here tonight?" Riley casually said.

Alice smiled and sounding innocent said, "Oh, I didn't get a chance to tell you? Sorry. Meeting a few friends here tonight for some fun."

"Really? Uh, it's not like you to be out clubbing," Riley said skeptically.

"Yeah, I know. But my friends wanted to have this kind of night out tonight, and it seemed fun, so I'm just going along. I didn't want to be the party-pooper. I did steer them here to make it easier on myself," Alice explained.

"What friends? Have I, Em, or Edward met them? Do they know about your health?" Riley questioned.

"Geez, didn't know I would come here and be subjected to an inquisition," Alice said, irritated. "Why are you hovering around me anyways? Don't you have work to do?"

"Aww, don't be like that lil sis. You know I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Well, I didn't know I was a child that needed looking after," Alice retorted.

Riley chose to ignore that statement. He softened his voice and asked, "So, you going to tell me who you're meeting here tonight?"

"Just some girlfriends. It's supposed to be a girls night out. Now, if you don't mind, I don't need them to come and see my brother being like a watchdog. Just because you're working here tonight, you don't get to ruin my fun."

"Hmm...girlfriends, huh. Um, have I met these friends of yours?" Riley inquired.

"Nope. Don't think so...and geez, I wonder why that is," Alice said with a smirk. She added that last part for some sting.

"Oooh, ouch." Riley made a face at Alice and Alice just continued to smirk back.

Just then, Kristie, one of the servers of the club and an Alice cohort, came up and interrupted, noticing Alice needed a save. "Riley, where are your manners? Instead of giving your sister here the third degree, you should go and make her a drink," she chastised Riley. To Alice she asked, "Cherry coke, right?"

"You know my drink," Alice said, impressed. She didn't think Kristie would've remembered such a detail.

Kristie scribbled the order on her little pad, along with Alice's name and table number. She then put the piece of paper in Riley's hand. "Go on now, bartender. I'll be by to fetch it in just a moment. Wouldn't want to keep your sister waiting. Oh, and make sure you put real cherries in there, and don't skimp."

Riley huffed and stalked off back to his place behind the bar. Kristie winked at Alice and Alice smiled back. Somehow, Kristie knew to help and Alice was grateful. After a bit of some chitchat, Kristie went off to tend to other patrons, leaving Alice alone and waiting. Alice purposefully came early to get her sneaky set-up underway.

Kristie came back and delivered Alice's drink, plus brought over some bowls of snacks for Alice to munch on while she waited. As expected, Alice noticed Riley keeping a watchful eye on her. He did have a direct view of where she sat and she the bar was right in her eye line. It was why she chose that particular table in the first place.

A few guys came asking her to dance, wanting to talk, or buy her a drink, for which she politely turned them all away. Alice didn't fail to notice the scowl that formed on Riley's face every time she was approached. She also noticed that Riley pulled out his phone quite a few times, and predicted that he was more than likely calling Edward and Emmett to the club as reinforcements. He would get busy soon and he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on their poor, helpless, little sister anymore-at least that's what Alice figured. No matter, that played right into her plans. She had to confirm for herself that her brothers would only have eyes for her friends and that they were indeed going to be attracted to the right girl.

It was just about the time Alice expected her friends to start walking in when her phone vibrated with an incoming text. It was from Riley.

**I thought u said u were mtg friends? Where are they?**

Alice shook her head. Riley always unnecessarily worried. She texted him back quickly.

**They're coming! Prob just got held up. No worries.**

Riley replied back. From the expression Alice saw on his face, he didn't look convinced.

**K, if u say so. U go straight home now, if they stand u up. Otherwise, keeping my eye on you. There r so many lowlifes that come in here on Fri nights. U don't need 2 b dealing w/ them.**

Alice scowled at the words on her phone. Another problem with her brothers, besides being notorious womanizers, they tended to be a bit overprotective of her. Being that she was the youngest and their "lil sis", they treated her often times like she was a fragile, porcelain doll and things only got worse when they found out about her health. She texted Riley back, promising it to be her last, and not at all hiding her irritation.

**This is my last response, then I want u 2 lve me b. Listen, bro-in case u forgot I'm a grown woman & my friends are grown women & we can take care of ourselves. But, I'll b sure 2 call u if we ever r in need of a rescue. Never gonna happen btw.**

Riley chuckled openly at Alice's last text. That was the feisty little sister he knew. He hadn't expected her to be keen to the idea of being looked after. He went back to focusing on his duties as a bartender. Emmett and Edward were on their way to help him make sure that Alice was kept out of trouble. Little did he nor his brothers know that they were the ones that were going to be in big trouble tonight.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN**: Oh yeah, if you want to review, please do. I can't even begin to fathom that this story is so close to 75 reviews already! I would've been happy with just one reader & one review, honestly. Thanks to my regular reviewers—you're what keeps me motivated to keep trudging on with this. Hopefully, you guys are still reading.

Chapter 24 Part 2 of this Covert Club Operation coming up:

"_Are you sure?" _

"_Heck, yeah. I'd know that ass anywhere. Believe me, when you've been spending a majority of your time thinking about said ass, you'd recognize it in a heartbeat."_

"_Hate to say it, bro, but you're so fucked!"_

"_I don't think I'm the only one. You've got the boner to prove it. You better put that away before Alice sees. And look at this one. He's drooling as if he's never seen a woman before."_

"_Shit! You're right. We're all fucked!"_


	27. Chapter 24 Part 2

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: ** So here's the update. Late as usual, that's not new by now, right? I tried so hard to get this out to y'all readers by certain times, but I could never meet my goal. Believe me, I beat myself up over it numerous times. But, finally this is ready. That's if I have any readers left after the wait. Well, I hope I do and I hope you guys still find the time to review the story for me.

Jani Lane, front man for Warrant, passed away during the time between the last update and this one. Since "_Cherry Pie_", Warrant's very memorable song, was the inspirational song for these two chapters, I feel I should acknowledge his passing and wish his family and friends my condolences. May he rest in peace.

Now, let's see what happens next.

**THE NUMBER OF REVIEWS THIS LIL STORY HAS GOTTEN ALREADY**

**STILL AMAZE ME.**

**GO AHEAD AND AMAZE ME SOME MORE**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24: Alice's Covert Club Operation-Part 2<strong>

Rosalie and Bella both arrived to the club at the same time and walked in together. Alice, with her view from her strategically situated table, could already see that they were turning heads. It only further confirmed to Alice that her friends were very attractive women and that they'd be turning the heads of her brothers soon enough.

Rosalie looked every bit a blonde bombshell in her very form-fitting, curve hugging, and tight little black minidress. She also had on black fishnet stockings and wore heeled boots that went up to about her knees-it was to die for boots and Alice, Bella, and Bree would be asking where they could score themselves some boots like hers. Her blonde hair was partially pinned up on one side with a hair clip that the girls would also come to covet, while the rest of her golden hair fell in silky waves around her face. From what she had already seen, Alice was sure that there were quite a few guys in the club tonight ready to drop at Rosalie's feet and worship her as their goddess, and it didn't matter if they were already there with someone else.

Alice couldn't help but smile because she knew that it wouldn't take long for Rosalie to grab Emmett's attention. Emmett had a knack of zeroing in on girls like Rosalie.

Not to be outshone by Rosalie, Bella also had more than a few of her own admirers, judging from the lascivious looks she kept getting that Alice didn't fail to notice. From her perch at the table, Alice could see that before Bella even arrived at the table, she'd already had to turn away a couple of men that were no doubt asking her for something; whether it was just a dance or something else entirely, Alice couldn't be sure. It wasn't any wonder to Alice, since Bella looked quite the sex-kitten that just hopped off the pages of a magazine and into the fantasies of men everywhere.

Bella had on the tightest pair of dark, skinny jeans that Alice ever did see and she wasn't so sure it wasn't painted on Bella's body, because it was just like a second skin on her. The tight jeans hugged Bella's curves nicely and highlighted her long, thin, legs and, if Alice did say so herself, Bella's delectable ass. Alice could only wish for a butt like Bella's. Bella also had on a sheer, white tank over a cute, black, lacy bra and topped off her club outfit with a stylish mini leather jacket and killer Christian Loboutin peep-toed heels. With how hot of a vixen that Bella was looking, Alice was certain she was going to get Edward's blood boiling.

It didn't take long for Bella and Rosalie to find Alice quickly despite the ever-growing crowd. Alice was still sitting at the table like she had texted them, bobbing her head to the music, taking in the scenery, and pretending she hadn't been closely watching her two girlfriends since they walked in. Alice exchanged a quick hug with both of them and flagged Kristie to get their drink orders. She asked Kristie to stay close, not wanting her girlfriends anywhere near the bar, or more specifically, Riley. Kristie didn't mind doing that for Alice and gave Alice another knowing wink, for which Alice just smiled again. Rosalie and Bella ordered their drinks, sat with Alice, and the three friends immediately launched into some girl talk while waiting for Bree to arrive.

Their table, however, had a constant flood of guys interrupting their girl time together and Bree hadn't even arrived yet. Alice had a feeling that once Bree joined the group, there would be more men circling their table like sharks.

While they indulged some of these guys with some mindless small talk, collectively the girls weren't really interested in any of the men that approached them and they refused their offers for dances and drinks, choosing to keep it truly a girl's night, at least until Bree came and then maybe they'd reevaluate.

Alice was especially one that cared the least about these men that found her cute or interesting. Her heart belonged to Jasper, despite it all, and no other men would ever compare in her eyes; therefore, they were of no consequence. She only indulged these men because she knew that Riley was watching her and hated every minute of what he was witnessing.

Although Riley tried to pretend he was busy with his bartending duties, Alice had caught him looking a few times and didn't miss the noticeable scowl on his face, and she knew the exact reason why it was there. He thought that she was purposefully trying to undermine the reconciliation with Jasper that he, Edward, and Emmett were orchestrating. That couldn't be further from the truth, but far be it for her to straighten Riley out-this was the bit of payback that was mentioned earlier. He could stew a bit longer and take Edward and Emmett along for the ride also.

Bree finally arrived with as much fanfare that Bella and Rosalie had. She was both flattered and perplexed by the attention. Obviously, Bree didn't get out much. She didn't realize how much of a hit she would be with the male species. It wasn't any wonder again since Bree was looking positively stunning and like sex incarnate in her black leather hot-pants, tight, iridescent, and almost sheer halter top which showed off a lot of skin and a lot of Bree's cleavage, fishnet stockings, and low-rise, heeled, boots. It was certainly a far cry from the scrubs the other girls were used to seeing her in.

Alice took another covert look in Riley's direction and she smiled broadly. Alice had seen Riley eye Bella and Rosalie when they had joined her and she found that while he held an appreciation for the beautiful women that they are, he wasn't too phased. However, what Alice saw of Riley when Bree joined the group, she would say that he was definitely phased at the sight of her.

Actually, Riley was downright affected to the point of flustered when he got an eyeful of Bree. Of course, he had no idea what her name was, but he automatically knew that he wanted her. Bree, who was currently giving him a great view of gyrating tits and ass, as she obliviously danced to the beat of the music blaring in the club with her girlfriends around their table.

Riley could no longer concentrate on his job or keeping close watch on his little sis, Alice. His mind was totally focused on ogling Alice's sexy as hell friend. She was stirring things inside of him that had stayed dormant with his recent slump with women.

When Riley first saw Bree enter the club, he'd dropped the glass he'd been holding. Then as he continued to watch her as she joined Alice, the drink he was making at that moment suffered, with him overflowing the glass and realizing that he wasn't even pouring the right liquor. Then it was more mistakes, to the point where the servers were starting to get very mad at him and he was losing tips from customers.

Riley didn't care, though. All he could think about right then was figuring out how to get to know the extremely gorgeous woman that was his sister's friend. Therein lie one of his biggest problems, she was Alice's friend.

Alice could hardly believe how hard Riley was staring at Bree. He'd switched focus from watching her intently to watching Bree. In fact, Riley's eyes were so trained on Bree currently that he just spilled yet another drink at the bar, causing Alice to giggle.

It was a done deal. Riley was infatuated with Bree. There was no doubt about it in Alice's mind. She could now notch one successful connection on her experiment for tonight.

Kristie came over to check in on the girls and see if they needed anything for which they all said they were fine for the time being. Before she made to go, she pulled Alice aside and whispered into her ear, "I don't know what has suddenly gotten into your brother, but something happened to him for sure just now. He's normally the best bartender we got, but it doesn't look it right now. He's messing up left and right. It's so unlike him. He's already broken more glasses than I'd seen him break the whole time we've been working here together."

"Is that so?" Alice feigned surprise. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, though, because she knew exactly what had suddenly gotten into her dear brother.

"Yep, uh huh. It's a good thing that he's on a mandatory break right now. He needs to get himself together. He's hanging out with your other two brothers now over there," Kristie told Alice as she pointed to a corner section of the bar where Edward and Emmett were sidled up to a very flustered looking Riley. "Looks like the whole family is here tonight," Kristie continued.

"Yeah, I just bet Riley gave them a call after he saw me come in. You know that they tend to get overprotective. It isn't like I'm even drinking or anything," Alice said, not bothering to hide her irritation. She already knew why they were at the club too, but she was using it to her advantage.

"Oh, I don't know about that, hon," Kristie responded. "From the way your brothers seem to be staring at the ladies, it looks like they're on the prowl again. No offense, but I think you're about the last thing on their minds."

They both took a look at Edward, Riley, and Emmett who were indeed in full ogle mode of Alice's girlfriends. The boys didn't even bother to try and hide it. Both Alice and Kristie giggled at the sight before Kristie took her leave to continue with her serving duties.

Edward and Emmett finally arrived to the club to find Riley on a rare break. He was sidled up to the bar in a secluded corner, hair all in disarray probably from running his fingers through it repeatedly, nursing a glass of some strong drink-so strong that the smell wafted over to Emmett and Edward even before they reached Riley. Riley was certainly in a state that the brothers hadn't seen him in a long time. He was mumbling to himself and looked completely flummoxed.

"What the hell are you drinking, bro? Battery acid? It smells horrid," Emmett immediately said as he reached Riley and took a long look at his drink.

"It might as well be," Riley answered, before taking another gulp of his drink. His face scrunched up at the taste of the liquid burning down his throat. "It's awful, but I needed something strong to get through tonight."

"What? Hard night? Is our dear lil sis being a complete handful already? Y'know, she's only doing this to get back at us because she's seen us going to ambush her with Jasper tomorrow night at dinner," Edward reasoned.

Riley took another sip of his drink and cringed. "This isn't really about Alice," Riley stated. "Trust me. You and Em might want some of this before too long, even if it's the most awful thing I've drank in a long time."

"Oh really? Why? What's up? Where is our feisty lil sis anyways?" Edward questioned.

Riley took a look at Emmett, who seemed to have gone silent all of a sudden and seemed to have gotten entranced. Riley glanced at where Emmett's eyes were trained. Emmett had indeed found Alice and her friends. He chuckled to himself, glad to know that he wasn't the only one affected by the sight of them.

"I think Emmett has already found Alice. She's over there," Riley pointed in Alice's direction with his glass, "shaking her groove thing, I guess you can say, with her girlfriends."

Edward looked over in the direction Riley indicated. His eyes grew wide as saucers as soon as he caught sight of his sister and the girlfriends she seemed to having a very good time with.

At the moment, Alice and the other girls were dancing to the Pussycat Dolls, "Don't Cha," and they garnered an audience-and why not, the four, sexy ladies were rocking out seductively to the song, gaining the attention of all those around them, especially the men. However, from the brothers position at the bar, they still had a very good view of the ladies.

Edward ripped the drink out of Riley's hands and took his own gulp from it. The burn of the liquid as it made it down his throat did not feel at all pleasant, understanding now why Riley would cringe every time he drank the liquor, but it did offer him some comfort. It was some really strong stuff that Riley had, not really his drink of choice, but Edward ordered himself one as well.

"Hey, what gives?" Riley spatted.

"Oh shit! It's her Ry," Edward muttered.

"What? Who?" Riley was confused.

"She's one of Alice's friends. The girl from the gym I told you guys about. You know, the smokin' hot brunette I only saw from the back. Long, silky hair and memorable butt. She was heading out the door as I was leaving the locker room. She was gone too quickly before I had a chance to catch more than just a glimpse of her, but damn did thoughts of her stay with me. Remember, we spent a lot of time speculating whether or not her front would be just as appealing. Um, from the looks of things, that would be an affirmative. Shit! It makes perfect sense now. I thought it was Alice I saw just ahead of her that day. I'd been searching the gym since then looking for her with no luck," Edward explained.

"Oh yeah, I remember. Em and I couldn't believe that you could have the hots for a girl you literally only saw from the back and for like a few seconds."

"Well, obviously I have good instincts. Even with just a glimpse, I already knew. Damn, she's fucking hot. Fuck me. I wanna get to know her front and back. And believe me, I meant that literally."

"Really, it's her, huh? I can't see how you can tell."

"Most definitely."

"Are you sure?"

"Heck, yeah. I'd know that ass anywhere. Believe me, when you've been spending a majority of your time thinking about said ass, you'd recognize it in a heartbeat."

"Hate to say it, bro, but you're so fucked!"

"I don't think I'm the only one. You've got the boner to prove it. You better put that away before Alice sees. And look at this one. He's drooling as if he's never seen a woman before."

"Shit! You're right. We're all fucked!"

"I can see now why you're drinking this piece of crap," Edward said, looking at his own glass of the concoction now in his hands. He still took a swig, though.

"Now, you see the benefit of this crap. You don't know the hell I've been through so far, Edward. I don't know what has gotten into me. That friend of Alice over there has been the sole focus of my mind since she walked in here. I can't do my job. You don't know how many glasses I've broken or drinks I've messed up. It's not like me. But, I can't help it. All I can think about is her and I can't help looking at her. I've had this permanent boner since she arrived and believe me I've tried everything to tame it, but just one glance at her and my cock stands at attention again. It's rather annoying and damn uncomfortable. And, dammit, why the hell did Alice have to have a girls night out and bring her friends here tonight?" Riley was rambling, but he didn't care. He was finally relieved to have vented.

"Wait a minute," Edward interjected. "You're not crushing on my brunette lovely, are you? Cause if you are...so help me, Ry...I know you're my brother and all, but I think I may just pound you."

"What? Nooo! Nothing against your brunette, Edward. She's definitely hot; however, the sexy-ass, raven-haired, exotic beauty in the hot-pants is more my style. She's the one that's gotten me all turned inside out. You can't imagine what she does to me when she's dancing about like that." Riley groaned as he watched Bree wiggle her ass some more.

He took a final swig of his drink before it was all finished. He ordered up one more, even though he knew better than to be drinking that stuff while still on the clock.

Riley then added, "You can't imagine how many fantasies of her and a whip have been going through my mind all of tonight. And, shit, I'm not even really into that kind of kink."

"Oh good," Edward said in relief. "I'm glad we're not after the same girl. I'd hate to pound you for ogling her all this time. And you think you've got some fantasies going. It's getting rather uncomfortable in my own pants."

Riley's second glass of the strong alcoholic concoction arrived. He and Edward clinked glasses before they both took big gulps as they watched Bree and Bella like they wanted to devour them.

"Shit! Emmett is still drooling over there. Look at him stare. I'm afraid his eyeballs might just fall out. I wonder which one has got his hormones raging," Edward pointed out to Riley. Then under his breath he muttered, "Better not be my brunette lovely."

"It must be the blonde. It's gotta be. Just look at who his eyes are trained on and it's definitely the blonde," Riley proclaimed almost too excitedly. He was glad that neither of his brothers were interested in the girl that he liked.

Edward exhaled another sigh of relief. Emmett's eyes were definitely intensely ogling Alice's also very beautiful blonde friend, which meant that the brunette was all his.

"Well, he does have a thing for blondes," Edward stated.

Riley added, "Just like you have a thing for brunettes. I have a thing for certain girls of the more exotic variety, admittedly. So, it isn't any wonder we're attracted to who we're attracted to."

"I'm glad for that, bro. It's nice for us not to have to fight over women." Edward and Riley clinked glasses. "But, we are fucked. What are we gonna do?" They both sighed deeply.

The boys watched as Alice's friends disappeared down the hall that led to the ladies restrooms. As if his entrancement was over, Emmett finally stopped drooling over the blonde once she was out of sight and was able to join in on his brothers' conversation. Luckily, the music in the club had turned to softer melodies, making it easier for the guys to talk.

"I'm guessing you two have already noticed Alice's friends," Emmett said glumly, for which Riley and Edward nodded. "Shit , Edward, you guzzling that battery acid Riley calls a drink, too?"

"Believe me, it's warranted. You could probably use one also," Edward answered back.

"Uh, no thanks. I'll just have me a beer," and proceeded to order one. "I don't want to be sloshed for when I meet Alice's friends."

"And what makes you think we're going to meet them? Considering our track record? I've been here from the beginning of their evening and not once had Alice even tried to make an introduction," Riley retorted.

"Hey, wait. You haven't been ogling the blonde all this time, have you?" Emmett's tone seemed angry all of a sudden.

"Well, she's definitely a beauty, no doubt. But no, I haven't," Riley answered honestly.

"And why not?" Emmett seemed to get angrier. "You can't tell me that Alice's blonde friend isn't the most gorgeous creature you guys have ever seen."

"I wouldn't go that far," Edward muttered and Emmett grabbed a fistful of Edward's shirt, his face turning red, and it wasn't due to the club lights.

"Hey, what's with you," Riley interjected and prodding Emmett to relinquish Edward's shirt. Emmett let go of Edward's shirt. "You're mad that we might have been ogling the girl that you have the hots for, then you get even madder when we say we aren't interested. How does that make any sense? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're drunk already. You're acting crazy."

"Yeah, Em. In case you were too blind to notice, Alice and your blonde has two other friends with them that are equally as gorgeous and more our tastes," Edward spat out as he gestured between himself and Riley.

"I'm sorry, dude. I don't know what's come over me. The blonde has just permeated my every thought and I'm at a lost here," Emmett said sheepishly.

"Join the club," Edward said dryly, as he raised his glass in cheers to Emmett. "Riley here is probably just about to get himself fired because he can no longer do his job right," and Riley didn't dispute that. Edward continued, "I think I need to go out and buy me some new jeans with more crotch room. Something tells me I'm gonna need them if the brunette is going to be a fixture with Alice. But, as Riley and I were commiserating, we're all fucked. No matter how appealing those girls are to us, they're off-limits."

"Oh, who says?" Emmett practically whined.

"We say, remember? After our sordid history with Alice's friends, do you really want to go there again? Alice has made some new girlfriends and she looks to be really close to these women. I don't want any one of us to be the cause of her anguish if by chance we mess up, and more than likely we will, and she ends up losing these friends. We've already caused her enough grief on that front," Edward stated frankly.

Riley interjected, "Not to mention that the three of us liking each of her friends at the same time is just plain dangerous."

"I told you that Alice's makes the most beautiful friends. Damn, I don't know how she manages to do that each time. Listen, can we really stay away, though? From them, I mean. Cause I know that I won't be able to resist. That blonde goddess over there is doing all sorts of things to me and I cannot ignore her calling to me. Seriously, guys, I think I'm in love."

"Geez, when have I heard that before?" Riley said sarcastically.

"No, I'm serious. If we get together, things will definitely be different. Somehow I feel that I'll be different with her. I just know that I'd change. I won't operate the same way with her like I did with the others." Emmett watched as his brothers rolled their eyes at him and looked to be on the verge of laughing.

He chose to ignore it and continue to try and explain how he felt. "Don't laugh. I'm being completely honest here. No other girl has captured my attention before like she has and I don't even know her name or anything about her. I feel something that I can't really explain. I've never felt it with any other girl in the past. It's something I feel deep in my gut, guys."

"Okay, I'm not laughing at you. I'm just amused. I, surprisingly enough, believe you because I think I know what you're saying," Edward responded.

"You do?" Emmett was surprised.

"Yeah. I think I feel almost the same exact way. I definitely feel something different for that brunette lovely friend of Alice. I've only had eyes for her this whole time and she's really all I'm thinking about. When has that ever happened? Oddly enough, I haven't even thought of Senna, since I saw brunette's backside at the gym, and I actually feel fine about us not having been together all this time. Like it was meant for me to save myself for the next big thing and Alice's brunette friend is it." Edward echoed Emmett's sentiments.

"Wait. Alice's brunette friend is the girl from the gym that you've been going ga-ga over since?" Emmett needed clarification.

"Yup. Edward here is convinced she's the same girl by way of her butt. Says that he'd know that backside anywhere and after searching for her since that day at the gym, he'd finally found her in the form of Alice's friend," Riley answered before Edward had a chance to.

"Well, way to go, bro. That brunette is hot all over, not just her ass," Emmett enthused, as he clapped Edward on the back.

"Yeah, I know. Don't you be getting any ideas?" Edward narrowed his eyes at Emmett.

"Nah. She's definitely all yours. I told you. That blonde goddess calls to me like no other."

"And I'll have to admit that Alice's other friend affects me like no one else has. This insane attraction I have for her already borders on ridiculous. I've seen a ton of beautiful ladies, smoking hot ladies even, pass through my bar and never once did I turn into a bumbling bartender like I had from seeing her tonight. Believe me, none of those girls holds a candle to her right now in my eyes," Riley vented. "Speaking of which...I gotta get back to work and hopefully this drink I just drank has helped to clear my head somewhat, so I can still salvage some of my night."

"But, we're screwed. We've got these feelings, but we can't act on them," Edward groaned out.

"Yeah, what are we gonna do?" Emmett asked.

"Do about what?" Alice asked, as she snuck up on her brothers. Their eyes all grew wide.

"That's my cue to get back to work," Riley said quickly and was gone in a flash.

"Uh...uh...," both Edward and Emmett struggled for an answer.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself about," Edward finally just said.

Alice narrowed her eyes at her brothers. "Hmm...mmm...So, do I need to be concerned about how you boys, Riley included, have been ogling my friends endlessly tonight? For brothers that came here under the guise to keep watch over me, I'd say that your eyes were otherwise preoccupied. Don't think I haven't noticed."

Alice proceeded to get into an in depth discussion with her brothers about said ogling and Riley's bumbling ways. She feigned irritation at her brothers' attraction to her friends, but inside she was beaming. Her mission was accomplished tonight. The right girlfriend attracted the right brother. Furthermore, the girls had already brought about a change to her brothers. Out of all the attractive women in the club, Emmett, Edward, and Riley only had eyes for Rosalie, Bella, and Bree. No one else existed, and in Alice's eyes, that was a huge victory for her friends. Not to mention an impressive feat. From experience, Alice knew that it's not easy to have captured her brothers' complete attention.

Kristie was wrong when she had stated that the Cullen brothers were on the prowl tonight. Actually, they were the ones that got caught.

Alice was excited. She could now move on the next phase of her plan.

Rosalie, Bree, and Bella came out of the ladies room just in time to see Alice wrapping up her conversation with their three hotties from the gym. One of whom, they hadn't realized till just then was actually a bartender in the club. Their faces certainly showed their shock and confusion. For the past few days, they couldn't get those guys out of their minds and was all they talked about. Now, they find that Alice was holding back on them.

Alice joined her friends in time to avert an inadvertent meeting with her brothers. She looked smug, knowing that they saw who'd she'd just been talking to, just like she orchestrated.

"Alice, you've got some explaining to do," Rosalie blurted out immediately.

"Yeah. What's the deal? You never told us you knew those hotties from the gym," Bree added.

"We've been going on and on about them for days and you've been holding out on us. I thought we were your friends," Bella said.

"Are you guys ready to get out of here?" For which the other three girls nodded. "Okay, good. C'mon. Let's head over to my place and I'll explain everything."

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **So, yeah, things are moving right along. Speaking of moving right along...I'm working on those review replies. I should be wrapping those up by the end of today. So, if you hadn't heard from me yet on a review you've sent thus far, don't fret, you'll get a reply from me some way, somehow. It's tough to split time between writing and writing replies. I'm sure you readers don't mind my late review replies as long as I give you guys chapters.

Next up: _Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, Again. _That should be a big clue as to what the next chapter will be about.

BTW, I'm not gonna promise a more regular posting schedule with this, or even a daily one, because whenever I do that, it never works out for me. All I can say is I'm gonna try to be at this computer to be able to post the updates as much as possible.

And, as for my other two, WIP's. Working on those too. Having time to work on all this writing is my enemy here, since my huge family have to come first and they take up a good chunk of my time. Just about finished wrapping their next chapters to send to beta and then an update after that. I'm playing around with the idea of putting both on a mini-hiatus until I get all the rest of the stories fully written to get them to complete, and that way I can update them more regularly after the long wait until it's all done. I want them both to be completed soon, so I can move on to other things. We'll see what happens. The goal for now is to update the next chapters within the next week or so.

Anyways, hope I didn't lose too many of you regular readers by the lateness of this update. Hope to be reading more of the regular readers' comments soon.


	28. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: ** So here's the update. Hey, I only made you guys wait a week for this one. Trust, updates will probably get better. And for those holding their breath for my other two WIP's, well, I've already got one chappie off to beta and the next one should go out before the weekend is done. I'm happy that I've finally got some productive work done on my writing.

Hope everyone had a great Labor day weekend, which just past. The family was so busy last weekend, or this one would've updated again. Then, with the shortened week, time just flew by so quickly, and as you all know, time isn't my friend.

In honor of epic milestone, Chapter 25, I promised some of my extremely regular reviewers shout-outs. LOL, if they're my only readers left with this story.

So, cheers and lots of love and gratitude to my regular reviewers: _**Venetiangrl92, Sarah, EmoryB123, **_and_** ridesthebeast**_, who truly brighten my days with their thoughts on the updates for this story. I wish you all well and lots of love and light. Thank you for continuing to encourage my writing and providing such joy to me with your words by taking the time out often to read and review. I appreciate it more than you know and I can express through words.

Another special shout-out to my Rapper girls and especially, girlfriend, MommaAbby, who are the only real friends I trust with reading my stories-I may just be crazy for this. Otherwise, the rest of you readers are pretty much anonymous to me and that suits me just fine.

Since I've made these shout-outs, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate my other readers and reviewers. I truly do, each and every one. I just see the above reader names consistently and I love my girlfriends madly and thought it would be nice to give them some recognition.

Just a pretty short one this time around. I cut this chappie where I did cause I thought it was better flow-wise. Hope you guys like it.

**NEW GOAL**

**LET'S GET THIS STORY TO 100 REVIEWS!**

**IT MAY TAKE A FEW CHAPTERS**

**BUT YOU READERS CAN HELP US GET THERE**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25: Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, Again<strong>

"_The Glory Of Love"_

_Original Music from the Film Score of _

_Guess Who's Coming To Dinner_

_You've got to give a little, take a little  
>And let your poor heart break a little<br>That's the story of,  
>That's the glory of love<em>

_You've got to laugh a little, cry a little  
>Until the clouds roll by a little<br>That's the story of,  
>That's the glory of love<em>

_You've got to win a little, lose a little  
>Yes, and always have the blues a little<br>That's the story of,  
>That's the glory of love<em>

Alice hummed to the tune that was playing on her iPod and was even doing a little jig to the music as she began the prep work for the food that was to be the meal for Saturday's dinner. She was as happy as she could be, even though she wasn't particularly looking forward to the inevitable Jasper confrontation. She blocked that unpleasantness from her mind because her day couldn't have gone any better, and she knew that it would only get even better once dinnertime arrived. Not to mention that her matchmaking mission was going exceptionally well, so she was uplifted by all the good that was happening.

Being at the club with her friends last night was the most fun Alice had had in the longest time. It had been too long since she had close girlfriends again to have a girl's night out with. Little did she know that more fun was to ensue.

It was nice to have been carefree and truly enjoying herself. She was appreciative of the attention that she garnered from men, letting her know that she was still attractive and could move on easily if she wasn't so stuck on Jasper being her one; however, even though she wasn't interested in any of these other men that showed interest in her, it was a nice boost to her self-esteem. Much to Alice's surprise, she held her own against Bree, Rosalie, and Bella, whom she considered far more attractive than herself.

The proverbial icing on the cake was having her experiment with her brothers go well. In fact, it went better than she had expected. All her brothers were pretty much lovestruck at the moment by her girlfriends, judging from their strong reactions to her friends that she was able to deduce. It was more than she could've ever hoped when she began this crazy mission of hers.

After Alice got caught, which was completely planned, talking to her girls' crushes, she coaxed them to come home with her and have an impromptu sleepover, so that she could explain everything to them, just like they demanded.

It was another perfect set-up a la Alice. Alice knew that her brothers would be a couple of hours yet from coming home as they would wait it out at the club until Riley was off duty. She confirmed this with a vision she had received of the boys commiserating at the bar over their attractions for her friends, shortly after she and the girls headed out. This had given Alice plenty of time to explain to her girls with privacy and then she'd stowed them away in her room until morning, planning on giving her brothers a big surprise when they woke. It was more of the payback Alice owed to her brothers.

It was rather convenient that Rosalie, Bree, and Bella all took cabs to get to the club, not to mention very responsible of them since they knew that they'd be drinking. Alice, who couldn't drink and therefore remained sober, was able to drive them to the home she shared with her brothers. She avoided giving an in depth explanation to her friends while in the car, citing that she had to focus on driving. She was basically postponing the inevitable barrage of questions; however, she was kind enough to answer a few of their questions, but only with curt responses. At least, the girls had some idea of what was going on-their hotties now had names and the last name Cullen. Plus they knew that they now had a surefire "in" with their hotties in the form of their sister, Alice.

As soon as they all stepped foot into the front door, Alice was cornered. She was as upfront as she could be with her friends, barring from telling them that she was actually on a matchmaking mission and that she specifically sought them out and became their friend for said mission. Alice didn't think that if she told them the whole truth that it would go over well and she'd be the one responsible for losing her own friends.

Despite how they had become a circle of friends, she genuinely had grown to love these women and enjoyed their presence in her life. Bella, Bree, and Rosalie were the bestest friends that Alice could have ever received. The previous girlfriends that she had lost paled in comparison to them and Alice couldn't help but feel that losing those friends were meant to be. She was grateful that Rosalie, Bella, and Bree were the ones that were her brothers' matches. She couldn't imagine being friends and having the relationship she has with anyone but them. In fact, she shuddered at the thought. The four of them were already like sisters and Alice, for one, couldn't wait until they actually became official sisters-in laws that is.

Alice feigned innocence about knowing that her brothers were going to be at the basketball game in the gym that day, citing that she had always watched boys play basketball long before she started watching the games in the gym from that perfect yoga room, and was never disappointed with the eye candy it provided. It was how she first noticed Jasper after all. She claimed it pure coincidence that her brothers happened to be playing in that one game she took the girls to watch.

Alice did reveal that she was honestly glad that her brothers were there that day and that the girls began liking them after they watched their game, even though there was that bit of ick factor with watching her friends ogle her brothers lasciviously. She also confessed that once she saw her brothers out on the court that she knew that they would find them attractive instantly, since the boys never had any trouble being found attractive and appealing by women, or men for that matter.

Alice admitted to the girls that the club was a complete set-up, but for her brothers. She needed to know how they would respond to the girls, to see if there was even a little something to work with. The environment was the perfect place to conduct an experiment. Rosalie, Bree, and Bella were in a pool of other attractive women, the other women being equally or more attractive than they were was relative, and Alice needed to see if her brothers would even notice her girls amongst the sea of women. She told the girls that they were definitely noticed, which led the girls to squeal in delight, but she held back just how well her experiment worked. Alice didn't need her girls to be over-confident.

By the end of the explanations and all the questions under the sun that Alice could answer about Riley, Emmett, and Edward, all the girls retired to Alice's room. They were all completely exhausted and quickly got ready for bed. Alice had already thought ahead and had things ready for her friends, down to bed clothes (which by the way were her brothers various clothing items, but the girls didn't need to know that) and the spare mattress she had laid on the floor beside her own bed that Rosalie and Bree shared. Alice and Bella laid out on Alice's bed and got comfortable.

They all fell asleep pretty quickly after laying down, but not before Alice had hashed a plan to set up her friends with their crushes and the first step was them coming to Saturday's dinner later on that evening. Considering that the girls were somewhere between tipsy and toasted, plus very tired, they were rather compliant with the idea that Alice try to get them together with her brothers and were even more delighted with formal introductions to be made at dinner that night.

Alice was a very clever girl. She now made it look like she was matchmaking her friends to her brothers. Then there was turning the surprise on her brothers for dinner. She wasn't going to be the only Cullen feeling awkward at dinner that evening. Alice fell asleep with a huge smile on her face.

The morning couldn't have started off any better. Her brothers received the best wake-up calls, as if she had planned the whole thing, but she didn't. It had just all occurred naturally on its own and Alice loved every minute of it. She silently thanked the Gods of divine intervention. Apparently, Alice didn't need to orchestrate everything.

Dinner was going to be fun. After the girls left the house that morning, Alice conveniently forgot to let her brothers know to expect their crushes at dinner that night.

Her brothers went about what they usually did on Saturdays and left her alone to plan out the meal and get started on the cooking. They knew better than to interfere with Alice when she was in the kitchen. The kitchen was Alice's domain after all.

The smell of delicious food cooking wafted over to the various rooms of the house where her brothers were and drew them out to the source of the smells. They all flocked to the kitchen to see what Alice had on the menu for dinner.

"Emmett, you better not be trying to get an early taste of my food in there," Alice called out to Emmett who had promptly disappeared into the kitchen. Alice was in the dining room readying the table for the guests.

She knew that Emmett could never wait before he had his fingers in the food. Riley and Edward just chuckled. After they had an eyeful of tonight's dinner, they joined Alice in the dining room, seeing if they could be of any help.

Edward noticed something not quite right with the way Alice was setting the table. "Alice, you're setting too many places for dinner. There's only going to be seven of us for dinner. Us plus mom, dad, and Jasper make seven."

"Don't tell me that you're setting all places for decoration? I know this table seats twelve, but we're not having twelve people eating dinner. It's extra work that you don't have to do." Riley groaned out.

"No," Alice coolly answered. "I mean I'm making the table look nice, but I'm setting ten places for dinner because there will be ten of us dining tonight."

Just then Emmett stuck his head out of the kitchen and told Alice, "Lil sis, I know that me and the guys eat a lot, but there's way more food that you made than was necessary. Not that I'm complaining or anything. You must've been slaving in the kitchen all day. It all looks delicious, though. I can't wait to eat."

"Em, she says there'll be ten of us for dinner tonight," Riley informed him.

"Ten? Who else is coming tonight?" Edward asked. "I don't think either of us invited anyone else," Edward said. Riley and Emmett nodded in agreement.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you all?" Alice asked innocently. "Silly me. I guess I just got so busy with prepping the meal for tonight. I invited my girlfriends to dinner tonight and they're coming. In fact, they're looking forward to it. They wanted to meet Jasper, whom I've kept talking about to them. I thought tonight's dinner was as good a time as any." She smiled widely and the boys eyes widened.

"Rosalie, Bree, and Bella are coming here for dinner, tonight?" Edward squeaked out. Alice nodded.

In a flash, the brothers were gone, up the stairs, and in their rooms. Alice heard three doors slam. She imagined they were now prepping themselves for dinner. She could just them see them shuffling around trying to figure out what to wear, what to say, and what to do.

Yup, dinner was going to be fun. Actually, more than likely things were going to be awkward, but Alice was certain the night was going to provide some good entertainment.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **Changing things up a bit in the next chapter. The actual dinner will have to wait, which is what I cut out of this chapter. There's going to be a lot of dialogue in that one, which I cringe at when I have to write it then look it over, and so I'm procrastinating a little. Thought I'd give you guys an insight to the morning which made Alice so giddy, and it is done better when given in specific POV's.

See you guys next update! Ciao for now. I gotta go do some family time now.


	29. Chapter 26 Part 1

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay folks. I remembered that I had something else very important to finish which had taken up a lot of my time-I'm still working on it, but thought to take a break from it since it's mostly all finished and release this first part of those Saturday morning POV's to you. Details about my other little project will be unveiled later.

I broke this up, originally wanting to put all three mornings in one long chapter for you all to read at once. However, I realized that with things still needing to be finished on my other work, it may have taken me longer to update this next chapter for you loyal readers, since I still needed to check over what I had written in those other two parts. This part was ready, so I figured, what the hell, just post it. I was already made a liar in some review replies when I unthinkably said that this chapter was going to post earlier than now. Of course, once I always make a promise like that, the inevitable happens and I get late, then I feel so bad.

So, here's just a little bit for you readers to keep you going until the next update. I hope you guys like it. Thank you for your understanding and patience with my update fails. I'm really trying to figure a way to work things out, so I can be better at updating.

**REVIEWS ARE WANING**

**HOW ABOUT WE CHANGE THAT, SHALL WE?**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26: It's A Beautiful Morning<strong>

**Part 1**

"_Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'"_

_from the __Oklahoma__ musical soundtrack_

_Oh what a beautiful mornin'_

_Oh what a beautiful day_

_I got a beautiful feelin'_

_Ev'rything's goin' my way_

_**Saturday Morning...**_

**~Edward and Bella's Morning~**

_**EPOV**_

Considering that I had gotten home pretty late from the club, couldn't fall asleep right away, and my sleep was restless, I didn't know why the smell of coffee that happened to have wafted into my room awoke me, but it did. It felt like I had only been asleep a couple of hours, but as soon as that coffee smell assaulted my nose, I was suddenly wide awake. It must be some strong coffee.

I figured it had to Alice brewing some of that new-fangled coffee that she had recently discovered, but hadn't yet opened until now. I hadn't remembered ever smelling it before. As a writer that practically drinks coffee like water during a creative spree, I knew my coffee.

It would be just like Alice to be up so early, bright and chipper, ready to start off her day, and on a Saturday too, despite also having had a night out at the club with her girls. However, since she had left much earlier than my brothers and I, I'm guessing she got a head start on sleep. By the time we got home, she already seemed tucked into bed. It also made sense that Alice would be excited to get her day going, which would probably consist of spending the day in the kitchen prepping for tonight's dinner. Alice always did get overly excited when it was our turn for Saturday dinners.

Despite having a strong urge to return to sleep, the urge for a cup of that coffee had won out. I stretched and wiped the remaining sleep from my eyes and got out of bed. I had some work to do on my latest manuscript anyways, so it would be good for me to get an early start today. I can get some work done before dinnertime, since working would be a wash for the rest of the evening.

I found some sleep pants and donned it, not needing Alice to see anymore of me than necessary. I skipped putting on a shirt, since Alice had already seen us guys shirtless many times.

As I opened the door to my room and crept down the stairs, heading towards where the delicious coffee smell was emanating, I noticed that the house was eerily quiet. This meant that neither Riley or Emmett were awake yet; otherwise, the house would be a flurry of activity with those two up. Well, it was pretty early in the morning, and Riley and Emmett slept like logs, so probably not even the house smelling like a coffeehouse could stir them from their slumber. It just meant more coffee for me. I could probably use a few cups of the stuff.

Imagine my surprise when I saw long, gorgeous, bare legs that definitely didn't belong to my sister, peeking out from behind the fridge door. I moved around the island to get a better look, away from the obstruction of the fridge door, then was able to follow the length of the legs up to the curve of the most delectable derrière clad in lacy boy short panties which I could see just a hint of from under her shirt as she bent over looking for something inside the fridge. I knew exactly who that backside belonged to. That scrumptious rump had been haunting my dreams ever since I caught a glimpse of it at the gym.

Damn, I was instantly hard. I had never been more grateful for the crotch room that sleep pants offered.

I didn't know what she was doing here, but from the look of things, she had apparently slept over. Fuck, the object of every wet dream I've had since seeing her butt at the gym had been sleeping just down the hall from me and I had no idea. Oh hell, who am I kidding? I wouldn't have known what to do even if I had that knowledge.

I didn't know what I should be doing next. She obviously wasn't aware that I was in the kitchen with her just staring at her intently. I felt that I should go, run back to my room as if I was never there, but I was frozen in place. I couldn't stop staring and a big part of me wanted her to turn around so that I could thoroughly ogle her front side too. Hey, I was a guy and she was hot, especially like this, so I couldn't exactly help my thoughts.

Fuck me, she started wiggling her hips as she raided the fridge and every little wiggle was making me grow harder. I had to look down and make sure I wasn't tenting my pants. I wasn't, thank God, but I did have to adjust myself. I'm sure if my brunette lovely finally turned around and saw me with an obvious hard-on, that it wouldn't go over well.

While I was still debating within myself whether to go or stay and finally meet my brunette lovely, she turned around. She jumped slightly and gasped softly as she caught sight of me standing there. She almost dropped the cream in her hand, which was what I assumed she had been looking for in the fridge.

We locked eyes and for a moment both just stared at one another. I guess neither one of us knew what to say. I, admittedly, looked her up and down from head to toe and licked my lips in appreciation. I only barely noticed that she was actually wearing one of my old band tees. I don't know how the hell she got a hold of it. Wait, actually I did-Alice. It just had to be. I'd have to discuss it with Alice later. Right now all I could focus on was how my brunette lovely fucking looked good in my clothes-a little too good.

What the hell was Alice doing to me? I groaned inwardly.

I caught her eyes raking all over me and I had to smirk. I wondered if she liked what she saw. Hopefully she didn't notice the hard-on in my pants.

Her tongue darted out to lick her lips and then she trapped her bottom lip between her teeth, as her eyes turned downward to her feet. The most glorious blush covered her cheeks. It might've been the sexiest thing I ever saw on a woman. Her open hand flicked a bit of her long, brown locks, behind her ears and I had to stifle the next groan that was threatening to erupt from my lips.

This woman had me completely enraptured. Fuck, what was I going to do? I had to have her. I don't think I ever wanted any woman as much as I wanted her.

I definitely needed to have a talk with Alice about her lovely brunette friend. My dry spell had to end now.

_**BPOV**_

I had always been an early riser, no matter how late I went to sleep the night before. It didn't always bode well for my system, and to be perfectly honest, it actually sucked, but there's nothing I could do. As soon as I could feel the rays of daylight streaming from the windows, I was awake. Coffee was definitely my friend in the mornings.

I felt daylight and stirred from my sleep. I really didn't want to get up. I was so damn comfortable; however my eyes opened of their own volition and as much as I didn't want to be, I was awake. For a moment, right after I awoke, I was disoriented, not knowing where the hell I was, but seeing Alice next to me brought it all back.

We were at the club last night having the best time. It was actually the most fun I had allowed myself to have in the longest of times. I had been too busy being married to my work, building up my little bookstore, its name, and its reputation. I practically lived at my bookshop. Even though I had the best and most trusted staff and didn't need to be there all the time, I couldn't help myself. I needed to micromanage every little thing with the store. Because of that, I hadn't given myself time to enjoy my life, which was what Alice had been trying to change in me. It looks like she's been succeeding.

The hotties from the gym were at the club last night, and lo and behold, they turned out to be Alice's brothers. Because Bree, Rosalie, and I all had a little too much to drink, we had hatched out this crazy plan with Alice. She was going to help us get with her brothers, just as long as we didn't act over-eager, too interested, and just teased them now and then a bit. Okay, us girls could do that and since we could never really say no to Alice, we were putting our trust in her.

Apparently, Alice's brothers were playboys. They were used to women throwing themselves at them and had an easy time getting any women they wanted. Well, that was understandable-look at them. The Cullens had some great genes.

I'd seen attractive men before, even dated a few that I thought were very cute, but clearly none held a candle to my Edward. Edward was apparently the brother I was crushing on-the bronze-haired, sex god of my dreams.

It made me curious to see what their parents looked like. Since all of us would be having dinner tonight, I will get to see if the apple didn't fall from the tree.

I didn't know how dinner would go. I'm sure it was going to be awkward as hell, but the other girls and I were still excited to sit down and get to know our hotties better. Alice had told us very little, wanting us to find out more about them ourselves and come to our own conclusions.

Alice did ask us to play a little hard to get. She wanted her brothers to have to work for our affections, even though they were already the objects of our fantasies. She said that they'd already had it much too easy and it was about time they learned to actually woo a woman. That sounded reasonable and I certainly wouldn't mind getting wooed. So the girls and I agreed on a plan of action that I think we all could manage.

At least, I hoped I could manage sticking to the plan. It had been a long time since a man got my juices flowing and I honestly was just ready to throw myself at Edward's mercy.

That wasn't going to be a good idea. Then I'd just become like all of his past floozies he romped around with before. That didn't sit well with me. The thought of Edward's past floozies made my stomach flip-flop and not in a good way.

I giggled at the thought that he was just down the hall, probably still asleep, and had no idea that I or the others had slept over with Alice. That line of thinking, in turn, led to more dangerous thoughts, so I quickly shook myself out of them. Breaking into his room and immediately jumping his bones was no way to be playing hard to get.

I looked around to find Alice, Rosalie, and Bree were apparently still fast asleep. I envied their ability to sleep in. I needed some coffee. I was sure, Alice being the chef that she was, had to have some around in the kitchen, and probably the good kind. I crept slowly out of the room, not wanting to disturb them. It hadn't occurred to me to bother to get fully dressed.

As I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen, I noticed the house was very quiet. All of Alice's brothers were more than likely still asleep as well. Maybe that was a good thing. If they slept into the late morning, the other girls and I may just have a chance to sneak out of here and none of them would be the wiser. We could re-group and have our A-games at dinner tonight. Or at least I could re-group.

I remembered where the kitchen was from Alice's tour last night and started searching for the coffee. I hope the Cullen siblings didn't mind that I was rooting through their cabinets. I found what I was looking for, some delicious smelling, authentic, Brazilian coffee and it had not yet been opened. I was sure Alice wouldn't mind; she did tell us to make ourselves at home when we were here.

I started up the coffee maker and began brewing the coffee. The smell was amazing and it wafted all over the house, making the place smell like a real Parisian coffeehouse.

I needed cream for my coffee and rooted around Alice's massive fridge. Of course, she'd have several varieties and I needed to decide what kind I'd like to put in my coffee this morning. Seeing the fridge stocked to the brim, not usually the case at my place, also made my mouth water. I wondered if Alice would mind me helping myself to some breakfast.

I finally decided on which cream I'd try with my coffee and figured I'd mull over breakfast after a few sips. I gently closed the fridge door and turned around, unaware that Edward had been standing there silently watching me.

I startled a bit, gasped softly, and almost dropped the damn cream in my hand. That would've made a great first impression. I recovered quickly and for a moment just stood there, frozen.

He was shirtless and only wearing sleep pants. I couldn't help but rake my eyes over him. Of course, I'd already seen him half-naked, but I was still impressed. The guy was damn fine. I pretended not to notice the huge morning wood he was sporting in his pants, but seeing that definitely made my girly parts tingle.

I had to keep chanting to myself how it wasn't a good idea to just jump him. That would make me such a slut. But, damn, I couldn't help the effect he was having on me.

He smirked at me and I knew he caught me ogling him blatantly. Embarrassed by my indiscretion, my telltale blush crept upon my cheeks.

We started to speak at the same time and stammered through our introductions. I guess we were both caught off-guard.

"Hi, I'm Bella..."

"Good Morning, I'm Edward..."

We smiled at one another. We both looked away to compose ourselves.

I didn't want to make a fool of myself. I'm guessing neither did he.

"Nice to meet you," we said in unison and we both laughed. We couldn't meet one another's gazes after that.

Before any more words could come from our mouths, the coffee maker beeped that it was done and then a scream rang throughout the house. Confusion was evident on both our faces. We both headed upstairs to the source of the scream, the coffee and our awkward meeting temporarily forgotten.


	30. Chapter 26 Part 2

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Here's the next update loyal readers. I would've posted this much earlier than now, but kids weren't cooperative this weekend and I ran into a bunch of house troubles which needed my attention.

Seriously, my house is falling apart on me and the family is basically going back to the days when we weren't so reliant on technology. Already we've had to deal with the ice maker in my fridge break down, so until we can get that fixed, we're making ice ourselves. Then my automatic garage door broke and we're having to pull the darn thing open and closed manually until the part arrives. My latest house disaster is that my dishwasher started smoking and could've caused a fire, so it's washing dishes by hand until that's taken a look at. I didn't know what I had done to deserve such troubles.

But, like you guys care about these troubles of mine. Sorry, just had to vent. As long as I can still write, right?

Anyways, here's Riley and Bree's morning. So, you know what that means, Rosalie and Emmett's POV's are next. Any guesses as to who did the screaming?

Um, excuse any errors that you might find. I was exhausted by the time I finished looking this through, so I probably didn't edit it with the best eyes. I might be making corrections later.

**OKAY, SO I'VE HAD A HARD WEEKEND**

**CHEER ME UP WITH SOME REVIEWS **

**PLEASE!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26: It's A Beautiful Morning<strong>

**Part 2**

_**Saturday Morning...**_

**~Riley and Bree's Morning~**

_**RPOV**_

I didn't sleep a wink last night. Instead, I laid in bed perfectly still and just stared up at my ceiling.

I couldn't sleep because every time I closed my eyes, I'd see Alice's friend, the exotic beauty. She was haunting me-her gorgeous, angelic face, her long, raven hair, her kissable lips, and damn those curves that should be illegal. Her curves were looking particularly delectable in that outfit she wore last night, which again, there should've been some law about a woman such as she going out looking like that.

At the very least, the girl should've been cited for obstruction, because once she walked into the club, she obstructed my ability to work. I had never been more distracted. Not only was I paying attention to her, but also to every other man in the club that was looking at her. I couldn't quite understand why other men ogling the babe was pissing me off, because I really had no claim on the woman since she was just Alice's friend, but they just did.

Fuck, I owed the club about $1000 worth in broken glasses and that dropped bottle of expensive, top shelf Scotch. The paycheck was going to be lighter next time around since that money was going to be docked from my check. I say it's fucking bullshit that the most expensive bottles of liquor went on that stupid top shelf where they are hard to reach. Of course, I had never dropped a freaking expensive bottle of alcohol before, not even when I was a newbie bartender.

I had no idea what had gotten into me. I was making rookie mistakes that I didn't even make when I was a rookie. I mean, the club didn't peg me as one of their best bartenders for no good reason. But, that was all shot to hell the minute she walked in. I wasn't at my best last night and that also plagued my mind, hence adding to my inability to sleep.

I was so tired when Edward, Emmett, and I got home from the club that I figured I was going to fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. However, as much as I tried, I couldn't get my mind to settle down. I tossed and turned trying to capture that elusive sleep, but after about an hour of doing that, I gave up. It became clear to me that trying to get to sleep was going to be futile. So, I laid there and thought.

I didn't get it. I didn't know why Alice's friend had such a hold on me. I'd seen all manners of beautiful women traipse around the club all the time. Fuck, I probably slept with a majority of them. However, none of those women ever affected me like she had the moment I saw her walk through the door. I wondered what the hell kind of voodoo spell she cast over me to make me react so strongly.

Who was I kidding? She wasn't just any ordinary beautiful woman. I didn't even know her, yet I already felt not only such an intense attraction towards her, but also the heat of a connection burning so strong, it almost felt like I was on the surface of the sun.

Shit, I didn't even know her name and already I was so taken by the woman. Damn, Edward was right when he had said that I was so fucked. I didn't like the feeling.

Maybe I was so affected because I had been in a freaking sexual drought in what seemed like forever. That was of my own doing, though. I refocused myself on school and became more involved with family and friends again.

Alice told me once that women didn't have to be my entire life. So, I took a page out of my brothers' books and took a step back just like they did. It seemed the best thing for me to do anyway, especially with the bad luck I was having with women of late, hence the drought.

Incidentally, I don't think they took a step back from their personal life willingly; they seemed to have encountered the same bad luck that I have. But, that's besides the point.

Taking a step back and enjoying spending time with my family and friends again made me realize just how much time and energy I had wasted away chasing after and sleeping with various women, but never had any worthwhile relationship to show for it. So, after that realization, no woman that I've encountered since interested me enough and it seemed the thrill was gone of trying to bed them.

That was until Alice's friend came along. She got me all excited again.

It entered my mind briefly that maybe God had intervened and dropped Alice's friend right in my lap, so I could make something better of it. Why else would I feel such an intense connection?

I don't know where the hell my mind was going? I think I've just cockblocked myself for too damn long. Oh hell, I was probably just being delusional because I was suffering from insomnia.

If there was one thing I knew for sure, I knew that I had to get to know this friend of Alice. I couldn't ignore these feelings I was having.

I couldn't continue to be a bumbling idiot. Because, if I didn't explore this connection I felt, I was sure that was what was going to become of me.

Screw the fucking pact that Alice's friends were now off-limits. If my exotic beauty was going to be friends with Alice, I knew I wasn't going to be able to stay away.

I needed to talk to Alice about this as soon as possible. It couldn't wait. I needed her blessing.

I was just about to get out of bed and march straight into Alice's room to talk to her when I realized what time it was. It was the freaking middle of the night. Well, my heart-to-heart with Alice could wait until morning. Alice would beat me to no end if I woke her up in the middle of the night and it didn't involve an emergency. I doubt she'd consider the sorry state of my personal life an emergency.

Definitely, Alice and I needed to have a serious conversation as soon as morning came. I needed to do this in private, so that Edward and Emmett wouldn't get wind of it. I didn't know how they'd feel about me discussing with Alice about breaking our little pact.

I could only hope that I'd be coherent enough to express my feelings once we had this talk. I really was very tired, but sleep still eluded me. I needed to be sharp and be able to convince Alice that I had changed my ways and had no plans of treating this friend like I had treated the others, which was very badly. She may not give me her blessing otherwise.

My mind drifted to thoughts of my exotic beauty. They were very pleasant thoughts and better than the troublesome thoughts I'd been having prior. I didn't realize how much time had passed with me just staring up at ceiling, lost in my own thoughts. Before I knew it, the sun had risen.

I still continued to lie still in bed until I heard Edward's bedroom door open and close; he was up. Quite unusual for him to be up this early in the morning. However, he probably had trouble sleeping like I did. Couldn't blame him either. His thoughts were probably with the brunette that had gotten him so enraptured.

A moment later I smelled the aroma of delicious smelling coffee waft through my room. It must've been brewed much earlier, but I guess I was too wrapped up in my own mind to have noticed.

I waited until I thought a sufficient amount of time had passed before I got up and made my way out of my room and headed towards Alice's room. I figured that she was awake already considering that the coffee was already being made.

I stopped right outside Alice's door, gathering up all my courage to have this talk with Alice. I shook the weariness from my body and prepared myself to go inside and bombard Alice with all the thoughts that had been plaguing me since last night.

But first I listened at the door for any sign that she was indeed inside and no longer asleep. She could have gone downstairs to the kitchen and was with Edward. I heard stirrings inside confirming to me that she was up and about. With one last deep breath, I turned the knob to her room. Fortunately, for me, I knew that Alice never locked her bedroom door these days.

I barged in without a second thought. I didn't even bother to be aware of my surroundings, I just started rambling.

"Alice, we need to talk and we need to talk right now. I know it's early and I'm sorry, but this can't wait," I said excitedly.

I then heard gasps and they weren't from my sister. I suddenly noticed that my sister and I wasn't the only ones in the room. Actually, as I looked around further, Alice wasn't even in here.

Who was in Alice's room was her beautiful blonde friend that Emmett went ga-ga over and my exotic beauty looking all rumpled from sleep. She was still gorgeous, though.

Apparently, she and the blonde slept over and they were starting to make the bed that they were sharing and that Alice lent them. I could hardly believe what was happening. Well, at least I hadn't awoken them, or else I probably would've scared the shit out of them the way I just barged in here.

I got very confused. At first, I thought that with my lack of sleep that I might have been hallucinating; however, that went out the window when I heard the giggles and then the blonde admonishing me.

"Do you make it a habit of barging into your sister's room? Ever heard of the concept of knocking? What if we were indecent in here?" The blonde said, clearly annoyed.

Hearing the word indecent made me take a good look at the girls, my exotic beauty particularly. My exotic beauty was wearing nothing but one of my sports tanks and the tiniest sleep shorts; I'd say that could count as indecent. I couldn't help but stare and look her up and down-she looked damn good in my tank. She looked better than I ever could in that tank and it clung to her curves nicely. I could feel my cock responding to what I was looking at and in turn I was becoming the bumbling idiot again.

I looked right into the eyes of my exotic beauty and had no words of response. Coming face to face with her left me speechless.

_**BreePOV**_

It was a good idea to have this big girls sleepover. Alice was a genius. It had been a long time since I participated in such a thing as a sleepover, but I gather that the girls and I should have more of these. We had so much fun before we all went down in exhaustive sleep.

The club was a good time had by all, but I think hanging out with the girls here at Alice's house was way more fun. It was more my pace too. After a long day at the hospital, I wasn't really into a club outing where there were a shitload of men hitting on us girls on a constant basis; especially not when I already had my sights set on only one guy. But, I got all dressed up and went along for the ride.

The girls and I got to really bond once we came to Alice's house after the club. She lived in this amazing house and it was kind of unbelievable that she shared the place with her three brothers. That was an interesting story she told us about how the four of them came to all live together.

It was also great to finally get the scoop on the fellas that had us girls' hearts going pitter-patter at even the thoughts of them ever since we had laid eyes on them the time Alice took us to the gym.

Personally, I had already been trying to figure out how I was going to see my hot guy from the gym again. He had permeated my thoughts ever since that day. There was just something about him that stuck with me like no man had before. I was thinking of resorting to bribing Alice to take me to the gym again, just to see if I could spot him there.

Alice was a sly one keeping that piece of information from us until last night. I couldn't hold it against her, though. I could understand her hesitation with having her girlfriends dating her brothers. It could become a big, nasty mess if things got complicated or worse yet, didn't work out. Alice had confessed to us that she already had her fair share of bad experiences with this. Our heart went out to her.

We all agreed that our friendship was far more important to just throw away over a bad relationship.

We assured Alice that despite what happens with her brothers, if even anything at all, because you really never know what will happen, she'd still always have us-it was a pact between us gals. It was going to be girls over the bros always.

Alice said she had a good feeling about all of us and agreed to help us out with our crushes. It seemed there was going to be fun times ahead.

The pact I made with Alice was a promise I intended to keep. After she had told me more about Riley, her brother that got my heart all a flutter, I knew that if there was any couple that might not work out, it might be the two of us since I didn't believe my values were going to mesh well with his playboy ways.

Actually, it wasn't just Riley in particular. I have had a lot of experience with relationships going down the drain really fast once I've expressed my beliefs to the man. There were a lot of guys out there that couldn't deal. It was why I was still alone.

However, I was getting ahead of myself. The only thing I should care about now was that Alice agreed to help us nab her brothers. We'll have to see what happens from there.

I went to bed with a huge grin knowing that my days of being lonely might be over soon. Dreams of the gorgeous Riley filled my sleep making it a very pleasant slumber.

Morning came and I was roused by Bella moving about the room then making her way out. Damn, that girl rose with the sun and she wasn't as quiet as she thought she was. I stayed in bed, not wanting to leave the comfort, and tried to close my eyes again; however, the aromatic smell of coffee that suddenly filled the room ended up not only waking me but Alice and Rosalie as well.

Alice was already bright and chipper and headed off to the bathroom to start her day. She asked if we minded and Rose and I didn't, because we were still trying to wipe the sleep from our eyes, so Alice went on ahead.

Alice, being the typical chef that she was, stated that since the coffee was brewing then breakfast shouldn't be far behind, so she was eager to get things started. Also, since we were coming back for dinner tonight, Alice said that there was much meal prep to do, so it was good to start the day off bright and early.

Rosalie and I could tell that Alice is one of those annoying morning people. I wondered briefly if it ran in the family. Well, whatever floated Alice's boat. I was never one to turn down free meals, especially if they are as good as Alice's cooking. I am a lucky gal to get what promises to be two spectacular meals. Alice's food is better than anything I could ever make or even buy around my neighborhood. I was thinking that maybe Alice could make me a little extra to have for lunch.

Rosalie and I began making the bed together and my mind was still on coffee and breakfast. That was until my food thoughts were interrupted by the object of my affections barging into the room and rambling about how he needed to talk to Alice right away.

Who knew that the door wasn't locked? We completely forgot that Alice's brothers probably didn't know that we stayed over last night.

Riley was looking crazily handsome for so early on a Saturday morning despite his disheveled appearance. His hair was in disarray and he looked sort of wild like he hadn't gotten much sleep. He was wearing only his boxers, and so I got a good look at his lean, muscular body. I wouldn't mind waking up to him like that every morning.

I was too busy ogling Riley to really mind his intrusion. Rosalie chose to speak up, however. We giggled a bit because poor Riley just looked lost.

"Uh...uh, where's Alice?" He uttered.

"She's in her bathroom, where else?" Rosalie sassed back. "Still doesn't explain about you barging in here. Does Alice have to deal with you brothers doing that a lot? If she does, then I feel sorry for her."

Riley looked sheepish and adorable. He stammered, "Uh...um, no. I respect my sister's privacy. It's just the door was unlocked and...and I really needed to talk to her. I didn't think...I didn't know she had company. I just...well, there was something on my mind and I, uh...Forgive my intrusion." He ran his fingers through his hair, disturbing it even further, and he shuffled his feet in embarrassment.

"Well, she should be out in a minute, if you'd like to wait for her," I told him.

"Not soon enough if you ask me. I need to go. If you two would excuse me, I'm going down the hall to the other bathroom," Rosalie said. Aside to me, she whispered, "Some boy you have there. You deal with him." She then proceeded out of the room.

Riley stared after Rosalie as she left and I felt a tinge of jealousy run through me as I thought that he probably found her attractive. But then, I came to my senses. All men would find Rosalie attractive, she was the quintessential blonde, blue-eyed dream girl. I couldn't blame him for seeing the obvious.

I straightened myself and pressed the creases down in my sleep clothes and then smiled at him in an effort to make myself more appealing to him. "So, you're going to wait for Alice? I asked. "You two seem to have something really important to talk about. I'm sure she'll be out soon."

"Wait? Wait here with you?" Riley squeaked out.

"Well, I could go if you like. I can go find Bella and hang with her for a little while to give you and Alice your privacy. This is both your home after all."

"So, you all spent the night here with Alice then?"

"Um, yeah. Alice said it would be all right," I said meekly. I was starting to think that Riley may have not liked the idea. "Why? Was it a problem?"

"No...no...Alice can do as she likes. It's as much her house as us brothers. It's just...I didn't know and I'm guessing Edward and Emmett, my brothers, didn't either," Riley explained.

"Yeah, I guess you guys got home pretty late. We'd already turned in. Let's not forget that Alice can be a sly one," I said then giggled.

"Yes. Alice can be pretty sneaky," Riley said then slapped a palm against his forehead, perplexing me.

"Forgive me again. I never introduced myself. I'm Riley, Alice's twin." He held a hand out for me to shake.

I moved closer so I could shake his hand. "Bree Tanner. And, I already know who you are. Alice told us friends all about her brothers last night before bed."

He pouted at first, but that faded when our hands connected. I felt an electricity pulse out from where our hands met. He looked at me with such intensity that I kind of grew uncomfortable under his gaze. He made no effort to let my hand go.

To lighten the mood a bit, I muttered, "Interesting way to meet, huh? Both of us in basically our skivvies." I was still trying to pull my hand away.

"I'd say so. If you're going to hang around, you'll probably encounter me or my other brothers like this again. We tend to forget that we may be in the presence of guests...uh, female guests," he confessed while he still continued to hold my hand.

I was beginning to think that the guy wasn't ever going to relinquish my hand. However, I didn't exactly make too much of an effort to jerk it away either.

I giggled. "I'll remember that for future reference. To be honest, it's not so bad. The view's pretty nice." Riley blushed and it was all kinds of adorable.

"My view from here is more than just nice," Riley said as he eyed me blatantly from head to toe. "Your eyes, they're beautiful. They're violet," Riley blurted, then he again looked sheepish.

"Well, thank you. You really no how to charm a girl first thing in the morning." That brought a brilliant smile to Riley. "Uh, sorry to disappoint you, though. They're just contacts. I'm pretty blind without my contacts, so I like to have fun with them and change my eye color every now and then."

"I'm sure your eyes are beautiful no matter the color," he then responded and it was my turn to blush.

"Um, thanks again. Compliments are always nice."

"I've got plenty more of those as far as you're concerned." Alice wasn't wrong when she said that Riley was a charmer.

"Uh, okay. If you say so. One thing, though. Do you ever plan to give me back my hand?" I said as I looked between where our hands were still joined.

He let go hesitantly and with an abashed smile. Then we heard the scream, causing us both to scramble out of the room towards the direction where we heard it from. We both didn't realize that Alice was just right behind us and she had the stupidest grin on her face.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **By the way, if you have a chance, take a look at a little side project that I had been working on for the Twilight Big Bang Challenge.

It's my extended O/S story submission, "Wildflower". A whole new completed story.

Go to twilightbigbang. livejournal. com and view my story as well as the other participants and leave some love if you can.


	31. Chapter 26 Part 3

**Disclaimer:**All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:**Thank you to the loyal readers who have patience and are sticking with me on this. I appreciate your support so very much.

Of course, the update has taken a while. Again, I appreciate your patience with me. Know that I may make you wait, but I'll never make you wait extremely long. Of course, again, what's considered too long of a wait is subjective. But, just note also that I'm a big fic reader as well, so I also put myself in reader's shoes. So, that's my justification for a suitable amount of wait time.

Just blame the kids! If you didn't know, they require a lot of mommy attention.

I think I may have some good news for you all. Like I said, I do better with some sort of deadline looming. It really makes me buckle down and get through the work I need to get through. So, to get through this story and get it done before long here and give me the opportunity to work on the other stories in my head and get them out before I get too old here, I'll have updates on Mondays and Fridays. This story may update on either day, or if we all get lucky, both days. It just depends how hectic the other days in between become. This is the best I can promise my readers. So, if I miss the Monday, look for it on Friday for sure. I think I can swing that.

This counts for my other two WIP's as well. I tend to like updating my multitude of stories at once. So, basically it means that I'll always have something updating Mondays and Fridays.

Okie-dokie, here we go with the last morning POV's. I didn't mean to make you all wait with bated breath. Yeah, not giving anything away—just read and find out what happened.

Excuse any grievous errors. I may have skimped on the self-editing a bit. I just wanted to put this out there to all of you loyal readers as quickly as possible.

**MAY I ASK FOR MORE REVIEWS, **

**PLEASE and THANK YOU!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26: It's A Beautiful Morning<strong>

**Part 3**

_**Saturday Morning...**_

**~Emmett and Rosalie's Morning~**

_**RoPOV**_

The smell of aromatic, authentic Brazilian coffee assaulted my senses and it did well to immediately have me awake. That was some strong coffee.

I glanced around the room to find that Bree was already up and looked to have been up for quite some time already. She gave me a small good morning smile and I nodded to her in acknowledgement. Alice had just awoken with me and was stretching and Bella was gone. I assumed she was the one that had to be brewing the coffee.

As soon as Alice finished her stretch, she was out of bed and ready to start her day. She was annoyingly chipper for so early on a Saturday morning. But, who were we kidding, Alice seemed to always be chipper no matter the time or situation. At least, she has been since I've met her and has brought us friends together.

I, on the other hand, wasn't really a morning person on a weekday, let alone a weekend, unless I was unveiling a new project or it was Sunday morning football. I needed at least two cups of coffee and a hearty breakfast before I could consider myself ready to face the day.

So, coffee and breakfast from Alice sounded really good and just the motivation needed to get my ass up and ready this morning. It looked like Bree and I were on the exact same page on that regard, judging from the way she smacked her lips together as Alice mentioned getting breakfast ready.

Alice disappeared into her en suite bathroom, wanting to get through her morning routine quickly so she could make said breakfast. Bree and I made ourselves useful by making the bed together.

Then Riley, the brother that made Bree's panties wet, barged unexpectedly into the room. What a nice surprise for Bree. I swear the girl had it bad for Riley; she talked about him in her sleep last night. I gathered she was having very nice wet dreams of Alice's twin brother, if the way she moaned and groaned his name was any indication. I didn't know yet if I should mentioned it to her, but I was definitely going to store that rich piece of information in my memory banks in case I'd need to use it against her at a later time.

Riley didn't notice Bree and I in the room at first and just started rambling on about how he needed to talk to Alice right away. Whatever he needed to talk to Alice about seemed rather important, at least to him and he looked like he had been thinking about it all night. He was still handsome, although he did look rather disheveled and lacking in sleep, and I could see what got Bree all excited about him; more so that he was wearing nothing but his boxers.

Despite Riley being gorgeous, the same with the brother who got Bella all hot and bothered, my eyes were still set on Emmett. He's more my type. The more Alice told me about him last night, the more appealing he got. The fact that he was apparently a skirt-chasing player had me even more intrigued about him. He posed a challenge for me and if there was anything more I loved than designing houses, it was overcoming challenges.

I think I am just the girl for him. Emmett Cullen has met his match.

Going back to Riley...he finally noticed that Alice wasn't in the room and we were there instead, and looked adorably lost as he came to that realization. If I didn't know better he seemed stunned by Bree's presence.

Looks like Alice wouldn't have to work too hard to matchmake this couple. It already looked like the two were smitten with one another; the adoring, clearly lovestruck looks upon their faces were evidence of it.

I chastised Riley for his intrusion, but didn't really mind it since it made Bree's morning, I'm sure. It seemed that Alice would be in her bathroom for a while and so I came up with an excuse to get myself the hell out of Dodge and give the two lovebirds in the making some privacy.

I hurried my way out of the room and into the hall. I was going to find Bella and hang out with her for a while, but as I made my way down the stairs en route to the kitchen, I heard her voice floating up to me and she wasn't alone. I also heard Edward, so that meant that she was having quality time with the object of her affections. There went the idea of spending time with her.

I lingered atop the stairs trying to think about what I should do when my body signaled that I needed to have my annual morning pee session, so I trotted to the next bathroom down the hall that I remembered from the tour that Alice gave me last night. I knocked first just to be courteous, but I knew that no one would be inside, and fortunately it was unlocked and unoccupied. I really needed to go this time.

I went inside and locked the door. The last thing I needed was for another person in this full house to barge in on me. That would be so embarrassing.

I took my pee and was grateful for the solace. My thoughts were filled with Emmett. He looked pretty damn fine at the club last night. At least, that was my observation from the little glimpse I got of him at the club last night, before Alice whisked us away to her house.

At first, I was fucking furious that Alice hid the fact that the guy I was hot for is actually her brother. I had gone on and on about him ever since I had first laid eyes on him at the gym to her and she hadn't said one word until last night. However, my anger melted as soon as Alice expressed why she hesitated in telling us the truth. I could understand where she was coming from.

This friendship is just as important to me as it is to her, so despite how fine his ass is, Emmett wasn't going to come between us. Alice seemed to be relieved by my assurance of this last night.

However, I told her in no uncertain terms that I wanted to go after her brother and she thankfully gave me her blessing. She gave the same blessing to Bree and Bella, and even promised to help us catch these player brothers of hers. Not that the girls and I really needed her permission, cause technically we could do what we wanted since we were all grown women, but we felt better knowing that there wouldn't be any hard feelings amongst us friends.

I fell asleep with dreams of Emmett and the oh-so-naughty things I wanted to do with him. I believe that there had to be a huge smile on my face the entire night.

Being the architect that I am, I couldn't help but look around at the layout of this bathroom. It was a very nice bathroom with a lot of room, a practical arrangement of the toilet, sinks, shower, and tub and the room didn't look crowded at all which could happen with bathrooms. There was an archway that framed the entrance, an art niche for a decorative purpose, and to cap the room off, a large glass blocks window. It was a cozy bathroom, especially the way it had been decorated, and seemed a nice place to get away and have a long shower or soak in a bath with peace and quiet. The bathroom also smelled very nice with an aromatic spritzer keeping the room odor-free and pleasant.

What I was really impressed with, however, was the fact that a linen closet was able to be fitted into the already full room. But there it was seamlessly between the shower and the smaller room within that housed the toilet. It looked to be a good-sized and spacious linen closet, too, judging from the door dimensions. Or at least what I thought was a linen closet.

After I washed my face and rooted around the drawers for a spare toothbrush and toothpaste, I decided to inspect this linen closet further. I had become inspired and thought it could be a feature I might want to add onto a future house design.

I opened the door and ran smack into a hard chest. I was momentarily stunned since the hard chest belonged to Emmett. A completely naked Emmett, I might add. My mind briefly drifted to lascivious thoughts of Emmett sleeping nude every night before I recovered myself.

A scream echoed throughout the house, which didn't come from my mouth and I immediately broke into a fit of laughter. I just couldn't help it because his girly like scream was funny as hell.

I guess it wasn't a linen closet after all. It's the door to Emmett's room and this is his bathroom. Who would've ever figured?

_**EmPOV**_

I couldn't believe that Alice had whisked away her hottie friends before I even had a chance to meet the gorgeous blonde. I stewed about it the whole rest of the night at the club after they had left and I had to wait with Edward for Riley to get off-shift.

What I had really wanted to do was follow the girls out. Maybe get the blonde's phone number so that I could call her later and make her fall in love with me.

I had my sights set on her. There was no way I was letting this blonde slip away. I had been a good boy of late and took a break from tending to my personal life. Actually, it wasn't even a conscious decision on my part to take a break from women. I was just having a hard time of it finding anyone I was remotely interested in or would give me the time of day. I guess the pool has certainly grown smaller when you've been swimming in it for as long as I have.

Well, break time's over. I think Alice's blonde friend is exactly who I needed to warm up my cold, lonely nights of late.

Oh, and the pact about Alice's friends now being off limits? What pact? I'm sure Riley, Edward, along with myself figured that pact went out window once we got an eyeful of Alice's newest girlfriends.

Edward has been trying to be stubborn about it, but he can't ignore the way Alice's brunette friend gets him all hot and bothered. He wants to get some with her and badly. I mean if his regular go-to FWB doesn't even cross his mind, there's something to it.

I had been talking to him about this whole thing most of the night. I told him that he had been working too hard on his latest book, certain that the pressure to publish another bestseller must be great, and that he really needed some sexual release. It had been too long since he had gotten some. He insisted he was fine. He ran away again from his last relationship and Maggie, the one woman he could always rely on for a good time, seemed to have dumped him on his ass. He was at a loss, so what does he do, bury himself in more work. He insists on waiting on Senna, his other hot-to-trot babe, but the gal seriously was focusing on her modeling career, if jet-setting all over the world for the jobs for the last couple of months were of any indication. I told him that if he really was all that interested in getting some with her, then he'd get his ass on a plane to go where ever she was and have that booty call. I told him that it probably wasn't like she wasn't getting any, being the very sexual babe that she is, with some male model that wasn't gay or some foreign dude that she'd met. He cringed at the thought, but he knew I had a point. It wasn't as if they had any ties to one another; it was why their relationship worked in the first place.

Of course, he knew I was right. Senna didn't hold the same interest for him as once before and she certainly didn't hold a candle to the delicious rump he has been obsessed over since he saw it at the gym. Now that the rump had a body and face to it and they belonged to Alice's friend, there was no way he could pass up the opportunity.

But Edward could do what he wants. What I wanted was to take that gorgeous blonde on a sweet date. Alice or no Alice, I was determined to make it happen. I fell asleep finally thinking of all the fun things the blonde and I could be doing on our first date, as well as some other, naughtier things that I wanted to do with her as well.

I was going to have a talk with Alice in the morning about getting the deets on her beautiful friend and whether she liked it or not, I was gonna go chase this girl. I loved my sister dearly and I really didn't like hurting her with my behavior in my personal life, but hey a man's got to do what a man's got to do.

A very aromatic coffee smell wafted into my room and instantly had me awake, as much as I didn't want to be. I was having the nicest dreams of me and my blonde. I tried to keep my eyes closed and fall back asleep. It worked for a good couple of minutes, before I realized that I really couldn't get myself back asleep.

I took a glance at my bedside alarm clock and groaned. Fucking A! It was so early on a Saturday morning. It would be just like Alice to get back at us brothers by waking us up with some strong ass coffee knowing that we went to bed just hours ago. What the hell did we do this time to deserve such a rude awakening? Was she mad about us coming to check up on her at the club? Or was it the fact that she knew we were crushing on her friends?

You see that was what I was telling my doofus of younger brothers, Edward and Riley. There was no point in trying to keep the no-going-after-Alice's-girlfriends-pact from Alice. We all knew that she had this freaky psychic ability. She must already know that we were crushing on her friends and therefore, she also knew that we were going to go after them. She hadn't averted us yet, apart from stealing them away at the club last night, so I saw it as the green light to go ahead. She wasn't going to stop us.

Edward and Riley thought that my line of thinking was wonky. They had no doubt that Alice already knew about our crushes and the fact that she hadn't said anything to us beforehand meant that we should be wary.

I scowled at the thought again. I knew that having a relationship with one of Alice's friends was going to be complicated, especially with the terrible history I had with her friends in the past. But, I really didn't want to think about all that. All I wanted to think about was making a go with the beautiful blonde bombshell.

Ugghh...this was all the last thing I wanted on my mind at this early on a freaking Saturday morning. All I wanted to think about was getting to know Alice's friend and spending time with the family tonight for our annual Saturday family dinner. I finally had this Saturday off, but it was only because the team was going to be gone tomorrow for an away game. I was leaving on the team plane first thing Sunday and wasn't coming back until Monday night. I didn't think I could wait until then to get the lowdown on the blonde. I was hoping that I'd already have plans for a date by the time I got back.

I needed to talk to Alice bright and early today, but I hadn't thought it would've been this early. Well, there was no time like the present, I guess.

The thought of an impending date with the beautiful blonde put on a smile on my face as I stretched and wiped the remaining sleep away from my eyes. I was getting out of bed slowly when I heard stirring inside my bathroom and wondered what the hell was going on. There was no need for anyone to be in there since everyone else in the house had their own en suite bathrooms. I had drawn the short end of the stick when I got the bedroom that happened to have the Jack and Jill bathroom.

I immediately went to the door to surprise whomever of my siblings was snooping around in there. Of course, in my haste, I had forgotten that I slept in the buff and didn't bother to put any clothes on, not even my robe.

I put my hand on the knob to turn it, but suddenly the door opened, and to my complete surprise someone smacked right into my chest. After I got my wits about me, I realized that the someone was actually Alice's blonde bombshell of a friend that had filled my thoughts ever since I'd laid eyes on her.

My cock immediately responded to her close proximity and stood at attention on its own volition. At the same moment, I realized that I was totally nude. Startled and overwhelmed by everything that was happening, a scream escaped from my lips. I don't know exactly why I screamed; it just happened. It wasn't even a manly type of scream.

Fucking A! As if things couldn't get any worse. I internally face palmed myself for this very botched way of meeting the current object of my affections. Way to fuck up the important first impression. I chastised myself inwardly.

The next thing I knew she was laughing and I groaned. This really wasn't how I expected to meet my beautiful blonde goddess.

Before long I heard the other door to the bathroom slam open and I vaguely saw my siblings plus Alice's two other girlfriends crowding through the entranceway and looking in confusion between the blonde and I. Then more laughter rang out.

Seriously, if there was any point in my life where I wanted to be struck dead on the spot, it was that moment. I really wanted to slink away and die.

I grabbed for the nearest towel and did my best to cover up with it. I'm sure my cheeks were flaming.

"If you would all excuse me," I told everyone. I backed away and retreated into my room and slammed the door shut to the bathroom and made sure to lock it.

I then ran quickly over to my bedroom door that led out into the hall and made sure that was locked as well. I just wanted to cocoon myself here in my room and wait out the embarrassment. I could still the hear all of their laughter echo through my ears and I slunk myself down onto the floor.

I could swear the room was starting to sway and my vision was getting blurry. It suddenly felt hard to breathe. The next thing I knew everything went black and the last thing I heard was a loud thumping sound as I fell over because I couldn't hold myself up any more.

The next thing I remember is coming to, slowly opening my eyes, and looking up at the face of an angel. At least, she looked like an angel to me. She had me cradled in her lap and was combing her fingers through my hair.

Maybe I had gotten my wish and had just died and gone to heaven. I closed my eyes again to savor the blonde angel's touch and had a huge smile on my face.

* * *

><p><strong>END<strong>**A/N:**Just wanted to say thank you to any one that went and visited my submission for the Twilight Big Bang Challenge on LiveJournal.

It was a great and wonderful writing experience and gave me such a feeling of accomplishment having completed the challenge.

The Masters List of all the challenge participation is now up, so if you haven't yet gone yet, please go view my story, "Wildflower", as well as the other submissions. There aren't just stories. Or go again. Now, the links are all in one place to make it easier for you to peruse all the submissions for the challenge.

Here's the link again. Of course, you guys know to form it properly in your browser, as FF doesn't allow us to put any linkage in proper format on here.

Twilightbigbang. Livejournal. com/ 41534 . html

Since, the Masters List is out, I guess I can now post my story to my profile, so you can also look for it here shortly.

If you like me as an author, I'd suggest you put this extended O/S, "Wildflower" on alert. There's still a lot of story left to this one and I know I'll be adding some outtakes here and there to it—you know, fill in some blanks.

It really was one of the most rewarding stories for me to write, so of course, I'd want to write some additional things for it.

Oh, and I'm suppose to give you guys a teaser, but I think I'll save it for one of the Teaser forums out there in the fic world. I'd been meaning to be a part of those for a long time. Maybe it's time to put up and just do it.

But just note, we're going to be having an awkward dinner, but lots of happy things happening once dinner is through.

And, damn, sorry my author's notes are way long this time around.


	32. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:**All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N:**Oy Vey! It's been so very long since I last updated. I'm sooo sorry about that readers! As you can see that I didn't flounce the story. I just had trouble producing this chapter. I had been working on this for a while and have written and re-written this particularly chapter more times than any chapter I'd ever written before. I swear I'd scrapped more words than I'd ever had before and had to start over constantly-it was quite disappointing and frustrating. Anyways, I think I finally got it to where I'm satisfied with it. Granted, it's hugely edited, as it turned out to be longer than I expected. I promise we'll get back to the whole Jasper and Alice subject-that whole part that was supposed to be included in this chapter was the part that was particularly troublesome for me. So I skipped it for the time being, which allows me to deliver this to you loyal readers now. In my humble opinion, the chapter has ended in just the right way.

**YOU CAN SOUND OFF IN A REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27: This Could Be The Start Of Something Big<strong>

"_This Could Be The Start of Something Big"_

_by Ella Fitzgerald_

_This could be the start of something very big,_

_Why don't you play your part?_

_Please give your heart to me...and see._

_This could be the start of something wonderful,_

_Why don't you take a chance?_

_Just try romance with me...and see._

"Uh huh...it's okay, mom. We totally understand. You can't help the circumstances. Yup, there'll be more than enough leftovers, I'm sure. I'll pack it up for this week's brunch. I can take it up to you. Uh huh...it'll be no problem. We'll just see you and dad next weekend. I love you. Bye."

Alice hung up the phone. She then proceeded to put away two place settings from the dining table. Alice's dad got a sudden emergency call from the hospital regarding one of his patients and therefore, he and her mom weren't going to be making it to dinner.

Emmett came strolling into the dining room just as Alice was heading into the kitchen carrying the extra plates and silverware. He was shirtless and carrying at least half a dozen different shirts in one hand and the same amount of ties in the other.

"Hey, you're putting plates away. You weren't just putting us on about the girls coming for dinner, were you?" Emmett asked.

"No, I wasn't putting you guys on. Rosalie, Bella, and Bree are coming to dinner tonight. In fact, I just heard from Rosalie and she and the girls are on their way. They decided to carpool. But, we are going to be two less for dinner tonight. Mom just called. Dad had to go into the hospital for an emergency. She decided to just head back home and have a quiet evening to herself," Alice explained.

"Oh shit! So, it's just us, the girls, and Jasper tonight?"

"Yup. Should be fun." Alice said with a conspiratorial looking smirk.

"Fun? More like awkward as hell would be a better way to describe it," Emmett countered. "And I know that smirk, you set this up."

"You guys started it by blindsiding me with inviting Jasper to dinner first. But, no, I didn't count on Mom and Dad backing out. However, I do think it makes the night more interesting. Mom and Dad were probably going to be used as buffers for conversations. Now, there aren't any."

"Ughh...what have you seen, little sister?"

"Nothing. Honest. At least, nothing yet. You know how my visions get funny when I'm involved," Alice claimed innocently.

"Yeah, or you're holding out on me again," Emmett said, incredulous. "Like this morning. You could've warned me. I still have a bone to pick with you about that."

"And like I told you after the girls left, I hadn't seen it happening until it was too late. How was anyone suppose to know you'd get an anxiety attack like that? It's so unlike you. You'd never been self conscious, even when you are naked. Who could've ever predicted that you'd react that strongly to meeting Rosalie?"

"I know. That was weird. I'd never been that affected by a girl before. I really don't know what got into me. I mean, when it comes down to it, she's just another girl that I like. Right? And, yeah, I'd never been one to be embarrassed about my body. I know what I got and what I got is good. If anything, I should be freaking smug that she got to see what she'd be getting if she agrees to go on a date with me. I really don't get what happened to me," Emmett said, still confused about what caused him to faint that morning.

"You're lucky I saw anything at all. How else could we have gotten in your room to check on you? Do you know how hard it was to explain to the girls what was going on? Riley and Edward knew what was up right away, but it wasn't like I could tell the girls that I get these visions and that's how I knew something was seriously wrong at your end. They already think I'm weird enough. It's a good thing, though, that they still like me despite that."

"Fine. Fair enough," Emmett conceded. He'd rather forget about his disastrous first meeting with Rosalie and how embarrassed he was in the morning. "Now help me with this. Which one do you think Rosalie will like best on me? I really want to impress her tonight to make up for my embarrassment this morning."

"I think anything you pick will be fine. You can tell she likes you already, despite how this morning turned out. I don't think it'll matter what you're wearing. In fact, dare I say she might like you better without your clothes," Alice joked and began to laugh.

Emmett pouted at her. "Aww..c'mon, Alice. Help me out here. You know her better. Which one of these shirt and tie combos would make her panties wet for me?"

Alice glared at Emmett. "Emmett Cullen," Alice began in her most stern voice. "Don't think I don't know where your mind is going. If that's all you peg Rosalie for then you can forget about ever scoring a date with her right now. So help me, Emmett, I'll have her turned off to you so fast, you won't even know what hit you. She'll believe me if I sully your reputation with her. We are the best of friends. I'm closer to her, Bella, and Bree than I have been with any other girlfriends in the past. Now, I've been more than generous by just allowing you guys to even talk to them to see what will happen. I'm not gonna allow you guys to ruin these friendships for me like you all have done before. Y'all better treat these girls like something special or so help me," Alice exclaimed, now irritated.

"Oooh...wrong choice of words my brother," Riley chided Emmett as he came strolling into the kitchen. He obviously heard some of Emmett and Alice's conversation. "Way to threaten, little sis. I, for one, will be on my best behavior. You have that promise," he continued.

Alice pointed the knife she was using to cut some garnish for the evening's dishes at her brothers. It would help her get her point across. "You all better be on your best behaviors. I don't want you guys operating like you normally would. Look where it has gotten you. My friends aren't going to be just another set of conquests for you guys. I won't allow it. The only reason I'm agreeing to all of you exploring these so-called feelings you have for them is because they've expressed interest in you guys as well. Although, I can't imagine why. I mean I told them about your reputations and..."

"Wait...what? That's news to me. What exactly did you say?" Emmett interjected.

"I told them the truth. I mean, if they like you guys, they had to know what they were getting themselves into."

"Well, way to sully us already, Alice," Riley said. His tone clearly irritated. "I can just imagine what you told them."

"If you'd stopped interrupting me, you would've heard me say that it didn't matter to them what I said. None of it bothered them, really. I think they must really like you guys if I hadn't turned them off of you three Romeos yet. But, I'm sure if push comes to shove, and I find you guys are going to be no good for them, I can probably think of something that'll have 'em running so fast in the other direction."

"So, they like us? They really like us, too?" Emmett said eagerly, as if he was back to being a young schoolboy with his first crush. Nothing else of what Alice had said registered.

"Yes, I suppose so. Maybe they think that they can change you guys. Who knows? Girls tend to love bad boys and if you three aren't the definition of bad," Alice trailed off, choosing not to continue her sentence. "Anyway, I'm giving you guys this chance mainly for them. They need some romantic intervention just as much as you three do. Bree has been very lonely, although she'll try to deny it, I could see it. She seems to attract losers who can't appreciate her for who she is. Rosalie has just gotten out of a bad relationship and she needs her confidence in the romance department restored. Bella has basically been married to her work, so she flits around from one lousy relationship to another. I don't even know if we can actually call them relationships since Bella never really lets them last past more than a few dates. She hasn't really put herself out there. I don't exactly know why; we never went into the matter too deep."

"So, you're saying that Bella's a serial dater?" Emmett asked.

"Yeah, I guess you can say that," Alice acknowledged. "In fact, she has another date coming up this week."

"Hold up! What do you mean Bella has a date?" Edward spouted as he came bursting into the kitchen.

"I knew that you had to be out there listening," Alice retorted.

"Wait. So the whole thing about Bella having a date was just to get me worked up?"

"No. Unfortunately not," Alice defended. "Bella really has a date coming up."

Riley let out a laugh, then said to Edward, "I find it highly ironic that your girl is the serial dater." Edward chose to ignore responding to his statement and just glared at Riley.

Out of his own curiosity, questions began tumbling out of Edward's mouth. "Who's her date with? Do you know the guy? How'd she meet him? What are they going to be doing on their date? Does she even like this guy? Do you think she'll like him more than she likes me? Have you seen anything about them and their date?"

"Whoa...geez, when I mentioned Bella's upcoming date, I didn't think it'll turn into twenty questions," Alice responded.

"Yeah, geez...Edward. Give Lil Sis a break, will ya?" Emmett added. "So, does Rosalie have any future dates that I need to know about that doesn't involve me?"

"Hey, we're talking about Bella here. You can gather intel about Rosalie later," Edward said to Emmett, annoyed. "So, um, if she only goes out with a guy for a couple of dates, it means she doesn't let them get lucky, right?

"Emmett, not that I know of. But, I told you, she just got out of a bad relationship not too long ago. We're talking bad here. The fact that she's already willing to open herself up to you is kind of a miracle," Alice stated.

"Really bad relationship, huh?" Emmett interrupted. "What are we talking about here? Do I need to go mess some dude up for hurting Rosalie?"

Edward glared at Emmett then cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but I believe the subject at hand right now is Bella," he said with a tinge of anger in his tone. Emmett raised his hands up in concession.

"Em, I think that's something you should talk with Rosalie about. It's not my place to tell," Alice began. "And, as for you, Edward, geez...relax, will ya? If I were you, I wouldn't make such a big deal about it. Bella had agreed to the date before she even met you. At least from what she's told me about the guy and their upcoming date, she doesn't seem really into the guy in the first place. Apparently, she knew this man from their high school days and they had lost touch over the years, until he unwittingly walked into her shop with his mother a couple of weeks ago. He wanted to catch up with her, hence the date, and I guess she felt pressure to say yes with the mother being around. I don't think you really have anything to worry about, Edward. She hasn't talked about it with any enthusiasm. Believe me. And, I'm like the last person to ask about how she handles her sex life. Besides, she can go on this date. So, you chill and let her go. Let her explore her options. It isn't like you two are even together. "

"Yet," Edward interjected. "I don't think there will be any more dates with long, lost high school pals once we're together."

"Oh, I see. So you"re planning to make you two exclusive then? Because, you know, if you place that restriction on her, it means that you're not allowed to casually date around yourself, which I might add, you tend to do," Riley pointed out.

Edward glared again, this time at Riley. Riley just had to bring up something that Edward hadn't put much thought into. Did he really want to be exclusive with Bella? Admittedly, it wasn't his style. He hated having strings attached on his relationships; it was why he fled from a lot of them. However, he never counted on feeling possessive about Bella this early. He didn't want to look like he was already whipped in front of his brothers and be considered a douche by them, which incidentally, he already was and he knew it, so he decided to play things off and not make it look like he getting together with Bella was that big of a deal, even though it really was a big deal to him.

"Okay," Edward began. "Maybe I was a bit hasty in saying that earlier. I can be cool with it. Bella's free to do what she wants. After all, I've got no hold on her. Actually, if and when we do start dating, the two of us keeping it casual might be a good thing. We're both fairly busy people. I'm really busy with this impending release of my book that I can't really put in the time in with a proper relationship. And, you know how I don't like to become too involved with the women that I date. Casual has always worked out good for me."

"Um, yeah...okay...mmm hmm. Whatever you say?" Alice muttered. She didn't really believe anything Edward said for a minute.

Alice knew that Edward was just trying to play off his feelings for Bella. He didn't want to let on that she affected him much more than he wanted them to believe. He was still wary of Bella being one of Alice's friends. After all, things hadn't turned out well in the past when he got involved with one of his sister's friends and he didn't want to end up causing Alice hurt in that regard again.

"Listen up, boys. I'll leave you guys to work things out with my girls. Explore these crushes of yours and see where it takes you all. I have one rule, though, and that is first and foremost you guys need to treat Bella, Rosalie, and Bree right. Please just don't screw up on that. They've had it rough in the romantic department and I just don't want them to give up on the whole institution of love."

"Oh, you know we can treat the ladies right, little sis," Emmett boasted.

"Yeah...mmm hmm. I'm going to hold you all to that," Alice said.

"So, speaking of our girls...when are they going to get here?" Riley asked.

"Should be any minute now. I actually told them to head back here earlier than usual," Alice answered.

"Awww, aren't you sweet? You asked them to come earlier so that they could spend some time with us before dinner?" Emmett gushed.

"No, silly. Actually, I asked them to come earlier so that they'd be here by the time Jasper arrives, and they're going to be my support to get through meeting him at my door for the first time in ages" Alice explained, correcting Emmett's assumption.

"Shit! If they're going to be here any minute, I need to get dressed," Emmett then called out.

"What would be the point? It's not like they hadn't yet seen all of you, Em," Edward teased, eliciting a dirty look from Emmett.

"Ha...ha...very funny. I think you guys have had enough fun at my expense for this morning. Just drop it, okay?" Emmett said, clearly irritated by all the teasing. "So, c'mon Alice, help me. Which shirt should I wear tonight? Since these two yahoos are already wearing blue and black, I guess those colors are out. So, which one of these left would be good?" Emmett asked Alice, as he held up the remaining shirts and ties in his hands that weren't blue or black.

"Go with the basic white, Em. It's actually Rosalie's favorite color. She says something about it being a pure color and a great color because it's a blank slate that can lead to so many possibilities. You'll also be in contrast with these two, which will get you noticed and that's what you want. So, I'd say that'll be a good way to go. But, I'd forgo the tie. You don't want to be looking too hard to impress her. That'll turn her off. She may look like a high-maintenance type of gal, but really she's into simplicity. Besides, I never mentioned to them that this was going to be a formal dinner, so I don't want them to feel under dressed if in case they just show up in casual clothes."

"Oh thanks, sis! You're the best," Emmett enthused. Emmett then ran out of the kitchen and headed to his room to get dressed.

"How about us? Do we look all right?" Riley asked for both he and Edward.

Alice scanned her brothers briefly from head to toe. She was still taken aback by how handsome her brothers. They really looked like they had stepped off the pages of GQ. They all had impeccable tastes in clothes and each had great personal style.

Edward was looking dapper in his all black ensemble. He was wearing a light black sweater with black slacks and his black dress shoes shined. He'd left a bit of scruff on his face, finding that Bella seemed to have enjoyed it on him this morning.

Riley looked just as handsome as Edward did, although he was clean-shaved. He was wearing a long-sleeved, navy blue-button down silk shirt that he left untucked over his dark jeans, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Alice gave them both a beaming smile. "I think you guys look fine. I'm sure Bree and Bella would approve. I don't think that you guys ever need to worry. They'd probably find you both attractive even if you were wearing potato sacks. Not that you would. You all seemed to have inherited Dad's impeccable sense of style." Both brothers smiled back and looked like proud peacocks.

"Now, help me get this food on serving platters and on the table," Alice ordered. "Everything' is ready. I did all the cooking, you guys can help some."

Just then the doorbell rang, signaling the girls arrival. Edward and Riley began to clamor about as if they were mice trapped in a maze, clearly phased by the arrival of the objects of their affections.

"I'll get the door," Alice said, as she neatly put the apron she was wearing away. "You two do as you were told, but try not to mess the food up, please. An added bonus, I can tell you both that Bella and Bree will like you guys being all domestic." This had garnered a smile from both brothers and they began to work on getting the food plated onto various serving dishes so they could be brought to the dinner table.

Before Alice made it to the door, Emmett was already there letting the girls in. "Ladies," he enthusiastically welcomed them in. His eyes held a special twinkle once Rosalie walked through the door.

"So nice to see you again, Emmett," Bella said as she came in.

"And clothed," Rosalie quipped, eliciting a nervous laugh from Emmett. "I must say, you also look nice dressed."

"Are you feeling better now?" Bree asked with concern as he took her coat.

"Why yes, much better. Thanks for asking. I really don't know what got into me this morning," Emmett answered.

"Well, sometimes getting a bad hangover can have that effect on a person," Bree stated. "You should make sure you've got plenty of fluids in you, lots of rest, and avoid some hard drinking for a while," she continued on in her official nurse voice.

"A bad hangover? O...kay? Uh, Bree, thanks for the advice, but I think I'll be fine. I'm sure I can take care of myself," Emmett responded, as Bree eyed him skeptically. "Um, really. I'm good. I don't know if Alice told you, but I'm a sports physician. In fact, I work for the Seahawks organization. I see this stuff happen from time to time with the players. Really, I can nurse myself. However, I appreciate your concern. I'm good."

"You're a doctor?" All three girls asked in unison and with their mouths agape.

"And you work for the Seattle Seahawks?" Rosalie added, her eyes as wide as they could be.

Alice figured that she should finally step in and make her presence known. She casually strolled over to the group and said hello. The girls looked at her again like she had more explaining to do.

"I hadn't said anything about Emmett's job because I figured that I had to leave some things for my brothers to tell you girls; otherwise, I'm afraid you all would have nothing to talk about with one another," Alice explained plainly, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

Rosalie snorted, then replied, "Oh, I'm sure we could've thought of something." She then winked at Emmett, eliciting a huge knowing smile from him. Rosalie then surprised Emmett by grabbing his arm, linking it with hers, and dragging him away. "So, Emmett, I know your other brother is the bartender, but why don't you make me a before-dinner cocktail and you can tell me all about your work with the Seahawks? It sounds very interesting. Did you know that I'm a huge football fan? We should talk about how your team's defense is still sorely lacking despite getting a lot of the key defensive players back from injury. "

"Wow. I didn't know you're a football fan. I'm always happy to talk to any girl who's a football fan," Emmett responded with another huge grin.

Emmett couldn't believe his luck. Not only was this girl gorgeous and smart, but she also knew football. Just by the way she had already talked, Emmett had a feeling that Rosalie knew her stuff with regards to football, and wasn't a pretender like some other girls he had dated in the past.

As soon as Emmett and Rosalie reached the bar, the drinks started flowing as well as the football talk. In no time, they were entrenched in a deep discussion about the Seahawks season whilst sipping on rum and cokes.

"So, um, where are Edward and Riley?" Bella asked as soon as Rosalie and Emmett had retreated to the bar in the great room. "I don't see them. Are they still upstairs? Or did they go out or something?"

"Are they not joining us tonight?" Bree said, worriedly.

"No...no. They're just in the kitchen helping me get things all set up for dinner," Alice explained.

"Wow! That's nice of them," Bella said, impressed. She didn't know much men in her life that would be so domesticated as to help with dinner preparations, whom of which included her father.

Bella knew that her father pretty much got called to come to the dinner table when it was ready, sat himself at the table, waited to be served, then ate. That was pretty much his routine. He never even so much lifted a finger to grab the silverware for eating or help clean up the dishes afterward. Most of the men she'd dated she had figured out had fallen into the same pattern.

She liked the idea of Edward being helpful in that manner. Her mind suddenly flitted to the two of them doing dinner preparations together then standing side-by-side at the sink washing dishes together. A goofy grin formed on her face.

"Looks like Bella zoned out again. Probably thinking of Edward," Bree said between giggles. This snapped Bella out of her little daydream.

Alice smiled. She knew what had to be on Bella's mind and how she was impressed with Edward helping out with dinner prep. She'd recalled the stories that Bella had recounted to her numerous times before about the lazy men in her life and it was a huge motivating factor as to why she pushed for Edward to be helping her out tonight with the dinner preparations, right in time for Bella's arrival.

Riley also ended up scoring points with Bree. Not that he needed any more help to look good in Bree's eyes, but for Alice, every little positive attribute only helped.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Alice exclaimed. "Would you two like something to drink before we start dinner here in a bit?"

All three ladies looked to the bar within the great room where they saw Rosalie and Emmett looking quite cozy getting to know one another. They were in deep conversation and looking upon one another intently. Both Bree and Bella decided that it would be better to give them their privacy.

"I think I'm fine right now, thanks for asking though," Bree stated.

"I could use some water," Bella said. "But, I can get it for myself. I do know my way around your kitchen by now. We're all friends here, right. You won't mind, would you? We really don't need you to play host."

"Good idea, Bella. And, perhaps, those boys could use some help? Admittedly, I'm pretty much shit when it comes to doing kitchen work, but I can be a handy helper. I'm sure Riley could tell me what to do," Bree added.

Alice smiled again, then giggled. As sly as they thought they were being, she knew what her two girlfriends were trying to do. They wanted to see Edward and Riley right at that moment. It was obvious. She was happy to oblige.

"Well, we should all go to the kitchen then. Bella can get her water and Bree and I could see how my two brothers are getting along. I can't have them messing up my food now, can I?" Alice responded.

The three headed into the kitchen to find Edward and Riley looking adorable in aprons and oven mitts and all the food ready to move to the dining table. Riley had just finished putting hot dinner rolls in a basket. The two men looked up immediately as soon as their sister and her friends entered the room. It was as if they magically sensed their presence.

"So, how did we do, sis?" Riley thought to inquire to Alice, but he was flashing a beaming smile at Bree and his eyes were focused on her, instead of his sister.

"Are you sure you're asking me, Riley? I'm over here," Alice teased, as she waved her hands in front of Riley's face. But she was pleased that her matchmaking was working.

From the looks of things, Bella and Edward also only had eyes for one another, judging from the way they were just intently looking at one another with huge grins on their faces as if only they had a secret with one another that they couldn't share. Alice found it quite strange though that they seemed to be communicating with one another without any words. She had noticed them doing it since their earlier morning encounter in the kitchen. She'd never seen two people connect so quickly.

"You guys did a great job. Thank you both," Alice said graciously and both men absentmindedly told her "you're welcome." They were too busy looking at the two girls before them whom already had their hearts beating furiously.

"Wow," Bella exclaimed, finally noticing the amount of food before them. "You made all this for dinner tonight? Jesus, there's enough food here to feed an army. Uh, in case you didn't notice, Alice, we're not an army. You don't expect us to eat this all, do you?"

"That's Alice. She keeps us well fed," Edward interjected. "It's surprising we're all not 200 pounds, huh? But, if you like to eat, you've come to the right place. There's not much that can beat Alice's cooking. Not even my mom's, but don't tell my mom that. I assure you though, with Emmett eating, she's cooked just enough." This garnered a giggle from Bella, making Edward proud.

Bella imagined Edward had to be right. Emmett did look like a big eater.

Edward never took his eyes off Bella or lessened the intensity of his gaze as he spoke and she blushed from the attention he was giving her. He thought her blush was rather adorable. Just another plus on his growing mental list of why he found Bella so attractive.

"Well, everything looks and smells amazing, Alice," Bree raved.

"You can always count on that. Only the finest from Alice. In case you didn't know it yet, she's kind of a perfectionist, especially when it comes to her cooking," Riley interjected. "Like Edward, there's not much I would rank above Alice's cooking. Well you know. You've already had a taste of her amazing cooking. Personally, it only ranks second to my being in the arms of a beautiful woman like yourself," he told Bree smoothly, garnering his own blush from her.

Like Edward, Riley also found it adorable in Bree. Despite his many experiences with various women in the past, Bree was actually the first woman he could remember whom he could actually make to blush.

This led Riley to briefly think about just how many loose women he had stupidly been with. In his mind, loose women meant loose morals which led him to believe was the reason why these women never blushed. Their loose morals made it so nothing phased them anymore. It may have been stupid logic, but to Riley it made sense.

"So, when...when do we eat?" Bree stammered out, completely affected by the intense gaze that Riley was giving her and his words.

Alice smile grew impossibly wider. Everything was as she had planned. Her brothers were completely enthralled with her girlfriends and vice-versa.

"We eat now. C'mon, all of you grab something and let's carry it to the table. By the way, I hadn't had a chance to tell you all yet, but we sort of have this unwritten rule in this house. I cook, everyone else helps, including clean up afterwards," Alice stated matter-of-factly.

"That's fair, especially since you probably spent a whole lot of time cooking," Bella concurred.

"Bella and I can do the dishes after dinner," Edward blurted before realizing exactly what he had said. He'd volunteered Bella to wash dishes with him without having even asked her yet.

Sheepishly, Edward turned to Bella and softly said, "That is if you'd like to and don't mind working with me," finishing off with a nervous grin.

Bella could hardly believe it. It wasn't that long ago she was having a daydream about her and Edward doing dishes together. Obviously, she didn't mind.

"I think that'll be fun," Bella answered, causing Edward to internally fist-pump.

"Alright, so Bella and Edward are on dish washing duty. What do you say the two of us go on busing duty?" Riley asked Bree. "It'll leave Emmett and Rosalie on clean up, meaning wipe-down and taking care of any further messes. This way, you won't really have to get your pretty hands dirty."

Bree was still a bit flustered by Riley, but she nodded to him that what he suggested was okay.

"Okay, Bella and Edward will be doing the dish washing, Bree and Riley will be doing the busing, leaving by default all the messy clean-up to Emmett and Rose. I don't know how they'd feel about that, but since they're not here to insist on their preference, they've got no choice. Great, and while you all will be doing the work, I can go put my feet up and have myself a nice after-dinner treat. Perfect. Now that's all settled, let's get to eating. I'm suddenly starved," Alice said cheerily.

The food was brought to the dinner table and both Bree and Bella couldn't help but admire the wonderful table that Alice had set. Alice really knew how to put together a classy dinner. As soon as all the dishes were placed on the table and the ambiance complete, as Alice put it, they were all ready to sit down and eat.

Rosalie and Emmett walked in just as Alice was showing where everyone would sit. Everyone couldn't help but notice that they came in hand in hand, causing fits of little giggles to erupt amongst the group, which Rosalie and Emmett wisely chose to ignore.

Alice had arranged for all the couples to sit across from one another, and with her mother and father unable to make it to dinner, she was going to take one of the seats at the head of the table and planned to put Jasper far away at the other end. She knew it would be difficult for Jasper to carry on a meaningful conversation with her from way across the other end of the table, especially with so many bodies in between them, and that was exactly how she wanted it.

It wasn't as if Alice wasn't going to tackle some of the serious issues she needed to handle with Jasper. It was just that she didn't want to have to do it in front of an audience. She planned to quietly slip away with Jasper later and talk with him in private, leaving her brothers and girlfriends alone to further get to know each other better.

Tonight's dinner was all about breaking the ice between the couples. It had been one of her plans all along. While there were definitely connections made, Alice knew that the connections needed to be further nurtured if she wanted more meaningful relationships to come from them.

At the moment, Alice knew that her brothers and her friends were lusting heavily for one another, and who could really blame them, they were all hot after all, but from what Alice had studied, couples who never got past the lust stage never made for meaningful relationships. Lust was what got Alice's brothers in trouble in the first place. While it was all well and good for attraction between her brothers and her girlfriends, Alice needed her brothers to fall in love completely with her friends, which included their minds and their souls, not just their bodies. The same went for her girlfriends. Only when they had all fallen completely in love, their bodies, minds, and souls united, then Alice felt her matches would form the deep, long-lasting relationships they needed.

It was really all a bunch of psycho mumbo-jumbo that Alice had learned through reading the many relationship books she had checked out from the library; however, Alice believed in the premise of the teaching. Besides, she had found a perfect example of how this philosophy actually worked out in real life-in her parents.

Carlisle and Esme Cullen had been sickeningly in love and wonderfully married for over 20 years and produced four children as a result. They had never made it any secret how Alice's dad was also very much a playboy in his younger days and how Esme had been the only woman to come along and tame his wild ways.

After learning of that story, it wasn't any wonder to Alice where her brothers inherited their playboy ways. Esme had recounted to Alice during a few of their brunches how Carlisle, being a young, handsome, resident doctor had been quite a hit with the ladies, especially nurses, in his heyday; and why not, even Alice knew that her father probably looked the equivalent of a blond, blue-eyed Greek God when he was in his 20's because even now that he was in his 50's, he still looked very good for his age. Alice never failed to notice that her father was still turning heads at his age.

So, Carlisle was a player until Esme came along. To this day, Alice's dad willingly admits to his wild days and that Esme hadn't come at a better time in his life. She was the only woman to capture his heart because she had been the only woman he had completely fallen madly in love with, mind, body, and soul, and right when he realized this, Carlisle knew that he had fallen in love for the last time. It was real between him and Esme.

This kind of love and relationship, like her parents have, was exactly the kind Alice wanted for her brothers with her friends. So, having her brothers also become attracted to her friends minds and souls, and vice-versa, was exactly the agenda for the evening. It was the kind of fire she planned to stoke tonight amongst her dinner companions.

During the course of getting to know Bella, Bree, and Rosalie, she had found out that they were exactly the perfect matches for her siblings in more ways than one. Alice found that her brothers and their female counterparts shared a lot of mutual interests, tastes, philosophies, and even some shared experiences. There were too many coincidences; it was quite uncanny.

It was really as if the girls were made specifically for her brothers and the universe was just waiting for the right catalyst to bring the girls together with her brothers. Fortunately for them and the universe, Alice was exactly the right catalyst.

As everyone took their seats, Alice watched in appreciation as her brothers pulled out the chairs for her friends. She was grateful that her parents had thought her brothers some gentlemanly manners because those manners certainly impressed her friends. Not that she was keeping count, but chalk up more points for her brothers with her girls.

As her brothers settled into their own seats, and Alice into her own, Alice noticed that the boys never took their eyes off their girls, and consequently neither did the girls. Alice giggled a bit to herself. It was definitely an admirable sight to see before her-her three brothers and her three friends completely engrossed with one another that there might as well have been no one else in the room. Alice could've been invisible for all they cared at the moment.

Her companions were so engrossed with one another that they even failed to notice that certain other supposed dinner guests were missing. Alice found it all adorable and briefly thought about just leaving them all to eat by themselves; however, she shook the thought from her mind because her stomach started protesting the idea. She really was hungry now.

Rosalie did tear her eyes away from Emmett long enough to notice the empty seats, though. "Hey, weren't we suppose to be expecting your folks and um...your ex, Alice?" She thought to ask.

"Yeah, well, our parents opted out," Emmett answered. "Seems my dad had an emergency come up at the hospital and so my mom decided to just have a quiet evening alone instead of driving down." This elicited laughter from Alice, causing everyone at the table to start staring at her.

Alice's brothers knew that look upon her face, though. It was the knowing look she always had after having just received some sort of vision. They suddenly knew that something was up.

"What is it, Alice?" Edward, who was sitting to her left, whispered to her.

Alice decided to announce why she began laughing so hard and let everyone in on the joke. "I was just laughing because I don't know why my mom thinks her ploys still work. She should know better."

"What do you mean?" Bree asked.

Riley understood, "Dad didn't have an emergency at the hospital, did he?" Alice shook her head "no".

"Ewww...don't tell me they played hooky from family dinner tonight so they could get frisky?" Emmett added.

Alice nodded, causing her to burst out with more laughing, while her brothers shuddered in disgust. The other girls finally understood and collectively sighed.

"Not that it's any of our business and not that anyone cares of my opinion, but I think it isn't disgusting that your parents wanted to have some intimate alone time. It's rather sweet," Bella commented. "It's nice to have your parents still in love like that and want to be together like that."

"Ewww...Bella, do you even know what you're saying? Do you know how old my parents are?" Emmett challenged.

"I agree with Bella. Who cares about their age? It beats having parents who are loveless, bitter, grown apathetic towards one another, or even divorced," Edward chimed in, agreeing with Bella's sentiments. Bella blushed once more, while Alice grinned at Edward for his support of Bella.

"Whipped," Emmett whispered to Edward with a snicker, since he was sitting right next to him at the table.

Edward kicked Emmett's leg under the table causing him to yelp. Rosalie giggled slightly in amusement. She loved how Emmett seemed to always make her laugh, even unintentionally.

"Will you two settle down?" Riley told his brothers, only loud enough for them to hear. "You're gonna ruin our first impressions with our girls."

Just then Bree raised her glass of water and said, "Well, here-here to Dr. and Mrs. Cullen for still being able to get some at their age. As much as I would've loved to meet them, I'd rather have them be having a good time."

Rosalie added, "Yeah, it's good to know that there's at least some people amongst us who are not deprived."

"That can be easily taken care of, baby," Emmett said aside to Rosalie with a wink. Rosalie giggled at that.

"I'm sure you'll get to meet my parents eventually," Riley told Bree confidently, eliciting a smile from her.

"Okay, well now that we all know what happened to the Cullen parents, what about this Jazz fellow you keep going on and on about?" Rosalie questioned.

"Is he no longer coming?" Bella chimed in.

"Shit, D...I told you the dude would chicken out," Emmett exclaimed.

"Oh, he'll be here," Alice asserted. "I figure he's just gathering his courage right about now. But, don't worry, he'll be joining us shortly. We shouldn't wait for him, though. I'm really very ready to eat. He'd want us to start without him."

The brothers kept from further saying anything else, knowing that if Alice said he was coming, then Jasper was indeed on the way. Although Alice had expected Jasper to be on time, his lateness actually rather unexpected, she was thankful for the momentary reprieve from his presence, which she was sure would throw her into a tizzy immediately. Now, she would have some time to set some balls into motion with her matches and sit back and see what would happen.

"Okay, so that's all settled," Riley said. "On to dinner, but before we do, I just realized that I've gone and forgot to ask everyone if any other drinks are needed. Sis, shouldn't we pop open a bottle of wine or something to go with dinner? Or maybe you girls would like some sodas, juice, anything else you might want to drink instead?"

"You're right, Ry. Silly us. Thanks for remembering. We've all been so caught up in other nonsense that we did forget about beverages for our meal. Personally, I'm good with water now. I think I'll be saving the wine for when Jasper gets here. But why don't you have a good red picked out and chilled, to be ready. So friends, what'll you have? Give our resident bartender your order. Whatever you want, Riley can get or make, I'm sure. And, Edward, Emmett, what would you guys like to drink? Your standard?" Alice addressed, playing the good hostess again.

Riley took a list of drinks to get and before he went off to fetch them, Bree asked if he could use some help to bring them back to the table. Of course, Riley agreed, grateful for getting the alone time with Bree.

The pair took a little longer than normal to bring back everybody's drinks of choice, but no one reproached them for it. They knew Riley and Bree were getting to know one another better.

Grace was said and dinner got underway. Everyone dug into their food and from the first bites, moans of satisfaction could be heard around the table.

Alice grinned proudly at the head of the table. No matter how many times people have told her that her cooking was world-class, she never would really believe it in her heart, until she heard the approving sounds coming from their mouths after they tasted her food. The high she'd get from hearing those moans would never get old.

Alice started off the dinner conversation and kept it light. For the first half of dinner, the talk was of mundane things like the weather, news, and sports with various people chiming in with their thoughts.

Except for Bella and Edward, who didn't appear to be listening at all to the conversation around them, but instead looked like they were having their own silent conversations with one another. They looked at one another intently from across their places at the table and there would be blushes, little smiles, and even giggles. Whenever someone else would direct conversation to either of them or try to engage them with the topic at hand, they were met with mutters of "huhs", "hmms", and "uh huhs" or they would appear lost-obviously, they were both only paying attention to one another.

Alice decided that it was time to move on from the light conversation and make the night more interesting, so she began, "Edward, you might find this interesting. I know you have a love for books like Bella. Bella was just telling me the other day that she has totally fell in love with this author she recently discovered."

"Oh?" Edward uttered, now quite interested in conversation and finally broke his gaze from Bella.

"Yeah, gosh what was his name again? I can't really remember now. Bella, who was that author again you were just raving to me about?"

"Huh?" Bella muttered in surprise and blushed from the embarrassment of getting caught not paying attention. Bree whispered to her what they were talking about at the moment.

"Oh...oh...yes, I recently discovered this somewhat new contemporary author and his work. I've become such a fan. I think he's such an amazingly talented writer. He seems to be the hottest thing in my industry right now. I can't wait to see what he puts out next. And, y'know, he's quite intriguing because he's such a mystery. He seems to be a very private person cause there's not much even written about him personally and I've seen no mention of appearances or book signings ever since he emerged onto the scene. There's not even a bio or even a picture of him in any of his works, so I really don't even know who he is. I have to admit that makes him just a little bit exciting. I keep imagining who he really is or if he's anything like the characters he writes."

"Wow, this author does sound intriguing. But, how's he even selling books then if there seems to be no marketing involved?" Rosalie chimed in.

"Well, he's very popular, even with the minimal marketing. He's a critical darling, meaning that the critics all rave about his work. His works sell themselves. They're really that good. I think the whole mystery of who he really is adds to the appeal of his works. I'm really kicking myself for having only discovered him now."

"Well, how do you know this author is even male?" Bree inquired.

"That much is said. Besides, even if his gender wasn't revealed, I think the writing style would at least lead you to believe it was a man doing all the writing. The only other thing the public knows is that he's from Seattle or at least he writes here. Learning this fact only makes me more determined to find out more about him. It would be great if I can get in touch with him or his agent and arrange something for my book shop. Right now, we're launching a special series at the shop featuring contemporary authors and it would be great if I can feature his work and have him do some sort of book signing or have a reading, or even just make a quick appearance. It would be such a coup for the shop if I can get him to make his first ever appearance there after being so reclusive. Not saying that I could, but I'd like to try to at least. But first, I need to do more research and try to find the guy. If I can't find a contact, then I'll never be able to even present him with the idea. That's what I was talking with Alice about the other day."

Throughout Bella's speech on this mystery author she became a fan of, Edward stayed surprisingly silent and quite rigid in his seat. He had an uncomfortable feeling. The way Bella was describing the author sounded eerily familiar.

"So, who is this guy already? Maybe the rest of us want to check him out," Alice said with a smirk, impatient for the big reveal.

"E.A. Masen," Bella responded simply, causing Edward to spit out the wine he was just drinking. Alice, Emmett, and Riley burst out in laughter. Bree, Rosalie, and Bella looked on curiously at the siblings.

"Why are you guys laughing?" Bella posed to no one in particular. "And, Edward, are you okay? You spit out your drink and you suddenly went pale?" She asked Edward, concerned.

Edward laid his head low and could only nod at Bella in that moment. He was too busy trying to recover from shock.

"What's the joke we're not in on?" Rosalie asked.

Riley sobered up first and posed to Bella, "So you're really a fan?" For which Bella nodded. "And I assume you'd really like to meet this guy?"

Bella nodded at Riley again, but clarified, "Look, I don't want you guys to think that I only want to meet this author because I'd like him to do something for me or because I'm some crazed, stalkerish, fan. I mean it would be great to be the one to get him out of reclusion and make him be less anonymous and make a name for my shop, but that's not the main reason I want to find him and I'm not one to be a groupie. It'll be fine if I somehow get in contact and he turns my offer down for an appearance at the store. It'll even be fine if I never get to meet the guy. Mostly, I want to get in contact with him just so I can tell him that I'm an admirer of his work and that I hope he keeps on writing. I think it's a shame that not even more people have read his work. His stories are really something special-so raw and honest. If anything, I'd like him to know that he's one of the best authors I've read so far."

"Aww...that was so sweet, Bella," Alice gushed.

"And you do know your stuff with books. I've gotta find this Masen author's work," Bree declared.

Edward inadvertently blushed from Bella's compliment. He began to gaze at Bella adoringly once more. What Bella had said had to positively be the sincerest thing he'd ever heard from a fan of his work.

"Well, you just told him," Riley said matter-of-factly.

"Huh?" Bella, along with Bree and Rosalie, was naturally puzzled. "What do you mean? Uh, what...how?"

"Yeah, you're sitting right across from him," Emmett interjected. Then he got up and stood behind Edward's chair and put his large hands on both sides of Edward's shoulders. "Bella, meet your favorite author. And I guess, bro, she's your number one fan," Emmett said with more chuckles, then returned back to his seat. "What a fucking big coincidence, huh?"

"Wait! What? You?" Bella directed the question to Edward and looked at him with disbelief.

"Just like I didn't tell you gals off the bat that Emmett works as a team doctor for the Seahawks, um, I also failed to mention that Edward's a writer and is yours truly, E.A. Masen," Alice confessed.

"Oh. Now I get it," Bree said knowingly, then looked to Rosalie who nodded back at her in agreement. Both girls now understood the cause for all the chuckles.

"You knew," both Bella and Edward exclaimed in unison to Alice, then looked at one another sheepishly.

"I don't think that was very nice of you keeping Bella in the dark like that," Edward chastised.

"Look, I hadn't known it was you she had been a fan of until she came out and actually told me the other day. I found it extremely ironic, yet fitting somehow. Then, yeah, I could've revealed that her favorite author just happened to be my brother, but where would the fun be in that. That would take the whole excitement out of the reveal. It was better she found out for herself by talking to you, but since all you seemed capable of doing is making goo-goo eyes at her, I thought I'd take it upon myself to initiate the conversation," Alice said, unapologetic.

Both Bella and Edward blushed at Alice's words. She did in fact point out that they'd been doing nothing but staring at one another most of the evening.

"So, you really are E.A. Masen?" Bella asked Edward.

"I hope you don't hold it against me," Edward quipped back. "We can talk more about that later." Bella nodded. She was definitely eager to find out more about Edward-he seemed to be chock full of surprises.

"Okay, so I've just got to know, why the pen name and all the mystery?" Bree posed to Edward.

"It's simple really. It all comes down to privacy and wanting the work to speak for itself. You girls may not know this, but in certain social circles my family is very well known. This includes the publishing industry. When I first started writing, I had never dreamed I'd get published; it had been more of a hobby. But, as luck would have it, one of my literary professors took an interest in me my freshman year and knew an agent and thought to show his agent friend my work. Well, by pure coincidence, this agent just happened to be a friend of the family. She had never known I was a writer. She wanted to take me on immediately, but I was kind of skeptical about her intentions, being that she was good friends with my mother. I didn't think my work was still good enough to warrant the attention she was giving me and thought maybe she was just doing so to indulge my mother. I wanted nothing to do with publishing if I was just being given a chance because of my family name. If I was going to do this, I wanted to be a legitimate writer and earn the opportunity by my own merit. So, I circumvented all that by using the fairly anonymous pen name. Plus, no one can say that I got a free pass because of my last name. Masen is the lesser-known surname of my beloved grandmother. The whole mystery surrounding my identity, admittedly, is more of a marketing ploy. It does help to add buzz, as the marketing team at my publishing house has well-researched. But, you know what, it works for me, because like I wanted, my writing speaks for itself. There are no bells and whistles, a famous name attached, or even my pretty face to sell the books," with that Edward paused and laughed a little at his own pretentiousness. Then he continued, "I never got into this career for the fame, so I don't mind doing without all the fanfare and groupies. I value my private life greatly and enjoy not being hassled in that regard. I also enjoy my freedom, so I like not having to always be tied to endless book tours and all that marketing my work might entail. I actually like the benefits of having the anonymity."

"Gah, that's a load of bullcrap," Riley commented. "He likes to keep his private life private for two reasons. One, he doesn't like his girlfriends to get wind of exactly how famous he is, so he won't have to deal with them being clingers or them wanting to be in a relationship with him just because of his fame. And, two, he doesn't want his very colorful private life splattered all over the media. Even his agent knows that if that happens, he might be better known for his private life than his work-and nobody wants that." Riley finished, giving Edward a smug smile.

Edward, once again, had expelled wine that he was sipping in the middle of Riley's comment. He now glared daggers at Riley. If only looks could kill, Riley might have been dead on the spot. Edward hoped that Riley's little commentary hadn't hurt his chances with Bella.

"Oh, Alice told me all about Edward's...his rather colorful private life. I can understand the position he's in and the reasons for remaining more of a mystery. So, I guess any chance of making any kind of work-related appearance is out of the question then?" Bella said meekly. She had ducked her head down and trained her eyes to the half-eaten plate of food before her.

"Don't necessarily believe everything you hear, Bella. Also, I never said I was exactly opposed to the idea of making any appearances related to my work," Edward told Bella. "Just that there hadn't been any opportunities that presented themselves that I had been remotely interested in...until now that is." That garnered Bella to look up at Edward and give him a small smile. "Again, we can talk more later. It seems we have so much to discuss and I'd rather we'd be alone."

"All righty then...," Alice interjected. "There'll be plenty of time for you, Bella, to talk with Edward and get to know one another better soon enough. Moving right along..."

Throughout dinner, Alice was initiating dialogue between the soon-to-be couples by revealing interesting facts on both sides that were sure to be conversational pieces. It was obvious she was having great fun in doing so.

They would talk about the current topic at hand, in between bites of their food. While some of the topics certainly proved awkward to discuss at times, neither side could exactly be upset with Alice for her strange way of initiating all of them getting to know one another.

"May I ask this one thing that's been nagging at me for the longest time?" Rosalie called out, after a lull in the dinner conversation. "I know that all of you Cullen siblings are close, but isn't rather unusual for all of you grown siblings to be living all together, especially when it's clear that all of you can clearly afford to live on your own? Maybe it's just me. But, I find it rather different. Aren't there any issues of you guys needing space from one another? I mean I love my family and especially my brother for that matter, but I really don't think that I could live with any of them harmoniously at this point in my life like y'all seem to do. I can only stand them being around so much when we have visits. To be honest, it's a bit puzzling. What about privacy? You all have private lives. It must prove difficult at times, especially with you men. Alice had told us how your love lives were somewhat like revolving doors," Rosalie had continued on, and her last words had caused the brothers to openly cringe. "Uh, sorry if I'm being nosy, it's just that I'd been wondering ever since I found out about y'all living arrangements."

"Actually, I've been curious about it too," Bella added in support.

Alice smiled. She actually had forgotten that she hadn't yet told her newfound girlfriends about her precarious health.

Alice began to explain, "There's a very simple explanation ladies. At the end of the day, it boils down to that they stay with me to keep watch over me because of my heart condition like the good big brothers they are. You see, this is technically Emmett's house. I started staying here because it was closer to my culinary school and made for easier travel for me. When we all were just starting out on our own, it made good financial sense to stay together and my parents wouldn't have had it any other way. But, yeah, as time passed and we each could afford to live elsewhere, each of us could have gone our separate ways, but it would've meant that I would've probably been left to live alone and to my caring brothers, that wasn't going to do. This way, despite all our hectic lives, they can ensure that someone would always be around to help me just in case my illness decides to rear its ugly head again. I love 'em for it. Aren't they something special?"

Alice's friends gave a collective, "Awww...," while her brothers all felt a bit embarrassed by the way she affectionately talked about them. Alice's brothers passed her brothers a sly wink, which, fortunately, none of the girls caught.

Alice continued, "Yeah, my parents are very proud of them for caring enough to still live with me when they don't necessarily have to and put my needs first above theirs. And, as for their revolving door personal lives...well, they know better than to have it displayed around me, so they each actually have their own places about town."

Bella, Rosalie, and Bree all said, "Oh," in unison. They would've never guessed that each of the men kept their own bachelor pads.

"With them maintaining their own separate places, it takes care of issues with privacy and needing space when they come up. They all mainly stay here, though. But, of course, once in a while, everyone needs an escape. Emmett, himself, has several properties he could escape to around town. Edward, I know, enjoys spending days at a time at his pad just writing and he goes whenever inspiration hits him; sometimes it's just too crazy around here to allow him the focus he needs to do his work. Riley has his place close to the bar where he works because sometimes it's just too difficult for him to head on home here. And, of course, I need some alone time-it's not easy to be living with three guys. Thank goodness they know better and bring their skanks home to their own places instead of around here." That garnered a collective, "Pfftt...," from Alice's brothers. "It's been very rare occasions where one of them has actually brought a girl around here, but you can imagine that with three other roommates, it's not exactly the best environment for that anyways. If you know what I mean," for which Alice's three girlfriends nodded in understanding.

"Well, good for you guys to care enough about Alice to be around for her," Bree spoke and raised her glass again a mock toast. "And, its nice to know that you siblings are close, but still allow for your own personal time. It also looks like that you guys are close to your parents as well. Your family is very admirable."

"That's very nice of you to say," Riley thought to tell Bree, garnering him a blush and a smile, which made his heart thump.

"So, you have your very own writing cove? I've heard about a lot of writers that actually have the same," Bella mentioned to Edward.

"Yeah, well, sometimes you just need somewhere with no distractions. Like I said before, a lot for us to talk about. Speaking of distractions, I have a feeling you may prove to be a big one, Miss Swan," Edward said to Bella seductively. Her cheeks once again turned crimson, because of the suggestiveness of Edward's tone, which Edward found completely adorable on Bella.

"I'd have to agree with you on that, little bro," Emmett concurred. "And, ditto, for you two other lovely ladies." He looked directly at Rosalie and raised his glass to her, for which she returned the gesture with an artful smile.

"Oh, but I think they're just the distractions you need, brothers," Alice said to herself, giving a self-satisfied smirk. She already knew that something big was starting between her friends and brothers.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN:** First off, wanted to give a shout out to reader, MoJo40 – Ffaddward-you rock girl! Thank you so very much for putting joy in my inbox and in my heart with your reviews! This chapter is dedicated to you, m'kay.

Secondly, I don't have a teaser for you guys this time. Again, sorry. I'm reorganizing, as you can imagine, and so I don't yet know what I'll have for you guys next.

Thirdly, please check out the Fandoms4ME information on my profile. A very worthwhile, charitable cause for which I submitted a story for their compilation.

Lastly, bringing up again that I'm on Twitter: randommama (exactly like that). If you care to follow me. If I get more reader followers, then I'll be motivated to talk about my fics, writing, and fics and writing in general on there. If anything, you can see the tweets I send out because I'm part of this great Twi Network, where together the network spreads love of fics within the network, so if you're looking for other reads, I could probably help you out there.

I'm gonna stop babbling! That's all folks! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, because this was really a testy one.


	33. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Whew! I finally finished this chapter! I'd been deciding on what to do then when I finally decided on the direction, been working on the chapter slowly but surely. Hope you all enjoy!

Wanted to dedicate this chapter to another one of my wonderful readers, latuacantante4him, who has also been spreading joy in my inbox with her reviews. Thank you so much for the love and I appreciate the support more than you know!

**YOU CAN HAVE A CHAPTER OF MY FIC DEDICATED TO YOU**

**ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS HIT THAT REVIEW BUTTON**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28: Edward's Crush<strong>

"_Crush"_

_by Mandy Moore_

_You know everything that I'm afraid of_

_You do everything I wish I did_

_Everybody wants you, everybody loves you_

_I know I should tell you how I feel_

_I wish everyone would disappear_

_Every time time you call me, I'm too scared to be me_

_And I'm too shy to say_

_Ooh, I got a crush on you_

_I hope you feel the way that I do_

_I get a rush_

_When I'm with you_

_Ooh, I've got a crush on you_

_A crush on you_

_You say everything that no one says_

_But I feel everything that you're afraid to feel_

_I will always want you, I will always love you_

_I've got a crush..._

"Alice," Edward groaned. "Where the hell are we going again? I told you that I hate shopping. I never know how in the hell I always let you talk me into going on these outings with you."

"I never said we were going shopping specifically, brother. Just that we were going to visit a shop," Alice clarified with a giggle. "Admit it, you love going out with me. Why else do you keep coming? It's not like I twist your arm or anything."

"Pfft...sure you don't twist my arm. Right...you keep making yourself think that. You, my dear sis, is an evil pixie. You always do that voodoo you do on your brothers and get what you want."

"Believe me, I'm sure you're gonna like where we're headed," Alice said and smiled widely, as she pulled into a parking space.

Edward looked around as he exited Alice's car and found himself in the middle of the downtown shopping district. He shook his head.

"Alice. Doesn't going into a shop constitute shopping?" Edward questioned.

Alice started walking, dragging a reluctant Edward along. She headed in the direction of Bella's book shop, but of course, Edward knew nothing about it.

"No...not necessarily. Especially not where I'm taking you. I mean, you're free to buy something if you want to, but we'll be at the shop on other business," Alice told Edward.

Edward groaned again and ran his hands through his hair. "Sis, browsing through a shop is also otherwise known as window shopping. It's still shopping."

"I never said we were browsing either," Alice pronounced, as she stopped in front of Bella's shop entrance. "You just assumed. Like I said, we're here on other business and it really has nothing to do with shopping like you keep insisting. But, like I said before, you're free to do what you want here, granted we get the other business taking care of."

Edward whined, "You are being cryptic again. I don't like it when you get like that."

"Speaking of which, we're here," Alice exclaimed.

Edward took a look at where his sister led him to. He was at a very upscale looking book shop. The storefront was understated, but still quite impressive. Edward could appreciate the architecture-a mix of old and modern. In the window display, he saw a tribute dedicated to budding contemporary authors, of which his work was displayed front and center. Again, the display was well-done and Edward couldn't help but look on proudly that his work was prominently featured.

"Is this what you wanted to show me? This window display?" Edward asked of Alice.

Alice paused before entering the shop to look at the display window. A big smile came upon her face.

"Oh that? Nice, huh?"

"Yeah. It's really well-done. If I was a customer, I'd really be drawn to start reading the works featured."

"Mmm...hmm...and your opinion doesn't have anything to do with the fact that your work is the most prominently featured?"

"What? Noooo...I mean, it's always nice to get my work recognized and acclaimed, but in all honesty, this looks like a very nice place to become lost in books."

"Oh, it is. Trust me. Better than any chain bookstore out there. Of course, that's just my humble opinion. Do you have any idea where we are?" Alice thought to ask. Edward nodded "no". "Nothing familiar, huh? Not even remotely?"

Then it clicked in Edward's mind, as if a light bulb went off in his head. "Wait. This isn't...Bella's shop?"

"Yup," Alice acknowledged, pulling Edward inside. "Welcome to Bella's passion, bro."

Edward stared in amazement as he took in his surroundings. Bella's bookstore was some place. He didn't yet know Bella all that well; however, from what he did know, he could see a whole lot of her personality within the shop.

The shop was warm and inviting, much like he felt about Bella. There was also a hint of fun and whimsy, again the same impression he got of Bella.

Edward was definitely impressed. Bella really created a wonderful environment inside her shop. He'd already gathered that Bella had a great love of books and reading. It showed in every nook and cranny of her book store.

Not to mention there were all these divine smells emanating from the cafe. His taste buds already watered with the thought of sinking his teeth into whatever pastry it was that made that delicious aroma, as well as was eager to taste the coffee that also smelled good.

"By chance, are we here because you want to buy me brunch from the cafe?" Edward posed to Alice. "Something coming from there smells awfully good."

"Mmm...yes, we'll all probably have a bite to eat later," Alice answered.

"Huh? So, did you just bring me here to have a look around?"

"Uh, something like that," the voice, that always made Edward's insides immediately turn to mush, said behind him. Bella's voice.

Edward turned around and came face to face with Bella. For a moment, he was speechless. She looked absolutely beautiful to him in her skinny jeans, simple t-shirt, and a pink apron attached around her waist.

Alice smirked as she noticed the two just staring at one another again. It was obvious that Alice had now become invisible. Bella and Edward always seemed to do that when they were in one another's presence. The world outside of the two of them didn't seem to exist anymore and it was just them, communicating silently.

Alice cleared her throat to bring Bella and Edward's attention back to her. "Well, now that Bella's here, she could give you a better tour than I ever can. So, I'm just gonna leave you two alone to take care of business. I'll be upstairs playing in the children's department. Don't forget to get me when it's time for cupcakes."

"We'll do. By the way, your, um, friend is already here," Bella called after Alice, who was already climbing the stairs to the second level.

Alice muttered, "Oh good. For once, he's not late." Soon, she disappeared up the stairs and onto the second-level, leaving Edward and Bella alone again.

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Friend?"

"Relax. It's just Jasper," Bella said with a giggle. "They're relationship is kind of limbo at the moment, so I don't know what exactly to call him. Friend sounded good and it was Alice approved."

"Ah...I see. So, she's here to meet Jasper?"

"Um, kind of. They're both actually doing some work for me."

"You hired my sister and Jasper? That's news to me," Edward said, surprised.

"I didn't exactly hire them. They volunteered and I'm so grateful. Y'know after dinner last time, we all started talking and I happened to mention that I was out a storyteller and an overall workshop teacher for the children's hour we have here. My regular gal just up and moved on me all of a sudden. I was afraid that I'd have to cancel the children's hour altogether until I could find a replacement, and it was something I really didn't want to do, because my regular customers absolutely enjoyed bringing their children to the shop for the hour. Well, Alice and Jasper thought that they could do the job and were both nice enough to step in and help me out of my bind. They decided to work together and thought it would be a good bonding experience for them. Y'know, a step in repairing their relationship."

"Oh really? That's what they've started doing?"

"Yeah. They've been reading the kids stories and then either Alice teaches them about cooking or Jasper wows them with a fun, history lesson. They actually make a good team. The books they pick always goes in line with their planned workshop for the day. The kids just adore the two of them together and I'd been getting accolades from the parents. I think the kids enjoy them more than they ever did the previous teacher. After this week, Alice mentioned that she and Jasper are having such a good time doing this together and that they will probably start expanding their curriculum. They've actually been having planning sessions to design their lessons."

"Wow. That's actually kind of awesome. I mean, it seems they've become comfortable with one another again."

"Mmm hmm...it's a step in the right direction that's for sure. It's a good thing that they're both interested in trying to salvage what they used to have. I don't know all the details of what happened before, but I do know that they seem made for each other, so if they could put it all behind them and move on, it'll be great for the both of them."

"My brothers and I don't necessarily approve of Jasper, but we do know that he is the love of Alice's life, and we've had no choice but to put our own feelings aside. If he's who she wants, then we're just glad that she's going to be happy. I have to admit that Jasper's not necessarily a bad guy; he's just made mistakes along the way."

"Haven't we all made mistakes in relationships before? It's admirable that Jasper is making such a great effort to get back what he had with Alice. Alice admits that they've still got a long way to go, but I think she's starting to be less wary of him and his intentions."

"I guess I have to thank you then," Edward began sincerely.

"Thank me? For what?" Bella questioned.

Edward smirked, "Thank you for helping me and my brothers get Alice back together with Jasper."

"I did no such thing," Bella dismissed.

"Of course you did. You gave them a reason to constantly see one another and paved them a way to work on their relationship. To be honest, my brothers and I had been trying to figure that part out in our plan to get her reunited with Jasper, but now we don't have to. You've already done the work for us. So, thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. I don't know that I really did anything except for needing help. They volunteered and I accepted. That's all there is to it. But, y'know, if they keep up the good work that they've been doing, I may have to start paying them."

Just then, Alice poked her head out from the flight of stairs and interjected, "You will do no such thing, Bella. Pay us? We won't accept payment even if you tried. This is our community service and really it's our pleasure to be working with the kids. We are having just as much fun as the they are." She then turned her attention to Edward. "Brother dear, if you really want to thank Bella, you should thank her properly, like with a date." She then gave him a wink and an encouraging nod of her head.

"Alice," Edward sort of whined and growled her name at the same time. He was annoyed that his sister put him on the spot.

Bella blushed at the exchange. As much as she did want a date with Edward, she didn't want him to feel obligated because of Alice's suggestion. She noticed that he began looking uncomfortable at Alice's suggestion, so she decided to let him off the hook, and hopefully relieve the sudden awkwardness that came over them.

"Don't mind Alice," Bella said and gave Alice a funny look. "I told you already that you didn't have to thank me."

"Oh, I think he should. Edward, we talked about this," Alice told him sternly.

Edward gave his sister a glare. "Don't you have to be back with Jasper and the kids?"

"Fine. fine," Alice groused. "If you don't mind me saying so, Bella, maybe it would be better if you ask my dear brother out. He's suddenly a bit shy." With that she stomped off back up the stairs.

Bella blushed again at Alice's words. Edward just continued to glare at the empty staircase as if his sister was still there.

"Uh...um...," they both muttered in unison, not knowing what to say and how to clear the continued awkwardness.

Edward then cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Uh, didn't you say you wanted to give me a tour of the place?"

"Um...what?" Bella said, momentarily stunned. "Oh... oh yeah. There's really not much to the shop, but I'm hoping you'd like what you see. Maybe if you took a look around and got a feel for the place and the staff, as well as give me a chance to charm you, then maybe you'd talk to your agent about possibly doing a reading here, or I could even settle for just a quick appearance." Bella's cheeks turned pink again as she let out her words. It was embarrassing for her to have to approach Edward like this.

Bella really liked Edward. Not only was he quite attractive physically, but as she had gotten to know him personally, she found her crush growing steadily bigger. The fact that he was her favorite author and had the penchant to write the most beautiful words that Bella ever read made her even more enamored. Of course, he was a player and that worried Bella, but she would rather ignore that little tidbit of information about him; she liked everything else about him.

Naturally, Bella wanted a date. Edward hadn't asked her out on one yet, although she knew that he felt just as strong of a connection to her. A date was the next logical step.

Alice even assured Bella of Edward's feelings, and she would know, but explained that Edward was just being his usual jerk self by not asking Bella out yet. Alice didn't know why exactly he was holding back, but if there was one thing she was going to do, it was to encourage Edward to ask Bella out on a date.

That's why Edward's sudden surprised visit to Bella's shop (well, a surprise to him) was two-fold. As much as Bella wanted to get a date out of Edward, she also wanted to get a confirmed booking from his alter ego, E.A. Masen, the author.

First and foremost, Bella was a shrewd businesswoman. Her bookstore was her baby, a culmination of her grandparents lifetime of hard work, which was then passed down to her after her grandmother's death. She quit school to take ownership of the shop and manage its operations full time. It turned out she didn't need a degree to know how to run a business.

When Bella inherited the bookstore, it was almost on the brink of bankruptcy. It was something she hadn't known. Her grandmother certainly took that secret to her grave. Bella didn't know how her grandmother was able to manage for so long with the bookstore practically in financial ruin. In two years, and with a lot of help, Bella was able to turn the business around and start turning a profit again.

Bella made a few changes from the way her grandparents ran the business, spruced up the shop a little using what little money she had on her own, and basically invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to make it a popular bookshop once more amongst the locals. She worked hard to keep it a thriving business. She'd do anything to keep it afloat.

Times now were tough. It was becoming more difficult for her to have her little bookshop compete with the major bookstore chains. Amazingly enough, she was managing to continue to have a profitable business when most other little bookshop like hers had long since folded.

Bella knew the implications of having a reclusive author like E.A. Masen make an exclusive appearance at her bookstore. Not only would she accomplish something that a major book chain couldn't pull off, but it would assure that her bookshop would remain a staple in the city's downtown shopping district.

Bella didn't want an E.A. Masen appearance at her bookstore for the fame it might cause her shop. She only wanted to ensure her shop's longevity in an increasingly difficult business industry.

Bella never wanted her business to fail. She won't allow it, not after all the work her grandparents had done in establishing the business and then entrusting it to her.

So, as much as Bella wanted a date from Edward, she also wanted him to agree to make some sort of appearance in her bookstore. She didn't exactly know how Edward felt about that. She could understand, though, why he might be apprehensive about asking her out on a date; probably not wanting to mix business with pleasure.

Bella had already resigned herself to settling for one or the other with Edward. Although, she honestly wanted both from him.

It was time to forget her crush on Edward for the moment and become the owner of the bookstore. She was going to show him around, make her pitch, and hope for the best.

"I hardly doubt that you can charm me any further than you already have," Edward said happily and brushed the back of his fingers on Bella's cheek.

Bella fought not to blush once again, but she lost the fight and her cheeks tinged with pink once more. She could especially feel the heated skin where Edward had touched her.

They gazed into one another's eyes for a beat, before Edward face turned serious. "My making an appearance here at your shop as E.A. Masen means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"I hate to admit it, but it is important to me," Bella answered honestly. "But, please, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I am a fan and I truly want to showcase your work. I've been raving about your work to anyone and everyone."

Edward interrupted, "Ahh...so that explains the sudden jump in sales." He and Bella both started giggling.

"I doubt that I had that much effect. It's probably just more people discovering how talented you really are. I'm sure the latest review you got helped out a lot, and the book bloggers are all writing about the anticipation for your next release."

"You are a fan. You've been checking up on me online."

"Okay, you caught me. But, honestly, I only googled you a little bit. I just wanted to check out the buzz on you."

"And what is the buzz on me?" Edward asked, the sexiest smirk on his face-that is according to Bella.

"Oh, you already know. I practically been spouting it to you on a frequent basis," Bella responded back bashfully.

"Well, that's true. You've been inflating my ego as of late," Edward teased.

Bella's face turned serious again, wanting to bring the conversation back to her task at hand. She needed Edward to at least think about making an appearance at her shop, but she also wanted to make it clear to him that she didn't just like him because she wanted to get that out of him.

"Edward, listen...I want you to absolutely know that I like you. And yes, I would like you to do something for me, but that's just entirely business. One doesn't have anything to do with the other. I don't want you to think that …"

Edward interjected, "I know Bella. You don't have to explain yourself to me. I already know that you're a completely sincere person. I know you're a shrewd business woman, but you would never to pretend to be a fan or like me because you want that appearance out of me. Look, it never entered my mind."

"It hadn't?" Bella questioned. "Uh...why? I would think that someone of your stature would be more wary."

"Because Alice is a great judge of character. I trust her and her instincts about you have been right from the start."

"Oh," Bella uttered simply. "Okay then, would you like that tour now?"

Edward started to chuckle. "Okay, but I don't need one to agree doing this appearance for you. If it means so much to you, then I've got no other choice but to make it happen."

"What? You would do that...for me?" Bella said, trying hard to contain the excitement in her voice. "Don't you need to talk to your agent or something, first?"

"It wouldn't matter. I'll still make the appearance whether she approves or not. I know that it'll help your shop out and it's a favor to you. I'm happy to do it. I know how tough it could be for a small business such as yours to have to stay afloat amidst today's economic times and to have to compete with all those major store chains. Now, that I look around, it's not such a small business, actually, and I've got to applaud you for competing well with the bigger stores."

"Oh," Bella's tone softened and her face fell slightly. "Alice told you, didn't she?"

Edward look puzzled. "Hey what is that face for? Alice hadn't told me anything, but that I should visit your shop and take you out on a date."

Bella once again blushed at Edward's mention of a date. She quickly composed herself, however.

"Alice didn't say anything about my business at all, apart from you making a visit?"

"Yeah, that's all. Why?"

"Then how do you know all about my trying to keep the business afloat and in competition with the major chain stores?" Bella inquired.

"It doesn't take a genius to guess why an appearance like mine in your shop would mean so much. I know that you don't want your business to go the way of others. It's no secret that bookshops like yours are few and far between nowadays. But, again, I really have to commend you for doing such a great job with your shop."

"I didn't realize my motives were so transparent, but thank you for the compliments on the shop. I try really hard to keep it thriving. I don't want to let my grandparents down. It was their legacy, y'know."

"Now, I can understand why Alice keeps saying that you're married to your work. But, I suppose you have good reason."

"Edward, thank you so much to agreeing to an appearance here. You don't know how grateful I am. It really does mean a lot to me what you're going to do and it'll do so much for the shop."

"You're very welcome. You got to know that I've only ever considered coming out of anonymity for you."

"Well, then I'm doubly grateful."

"Just so you know. I don't do well with anything too fancy. I'd like to keep things as low-key as possible."

"That won't be a problem."

"Also, you haven't met my agent yet, but once she hears about the appearance, she will probably start taking over and running the show."

"That won't be a problem with me, either. As long as she does things the way you want, then I'm fine with whatever you can give me in the way of an appearance. Even if it's just a quick five minutes with a wave to your adoring fans. I'm certainly not going to be picky when you've already granted me such a wonderful opportunity."

"Oh, I'll do more than just wave at my adoring fans, like you say. I certainly owe you more than that. Since I've already agreed to this, you won't be disappointed. I just need a little more time to work out some details and discuss things with my agent."

"Okay, that's fine with me. It's your call."

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you. You might get more than you bargained for."

"I don't mind," Bella said with a smile, not missing the double entendre in Edward's words. "So, how about that tour now?"

"I thought that's what we were already doing," Edward said with a chuckle.

"Huh?" Bella was puzzled, but then looked around and realized that she and Edward were now in the cafe of her shop. She didn't even realize how they even got there. It was proof positive that she was too caught up in Edward.

"When we first started talking about a tour, you just began walking around, and I followed. I just assumed it was your way of showing me around the place."

Bella looked like she was a deer in headlights. She blinked a few times to try and regain her bearings. "Gosh, I hadn't even realized."

"I could see that," Edward chuckled softly. "It wasn't exactly the way a usual tour would be conducted, but you did fine, though. I was never really into the 'and now we have so and so' method. I've pretty much seen everything and I can tell it's a fantastic place. Just looking around and seeing the satisfied customers, I could already tell you have a great shop with a wonderful staff. Not to mention that the place is beautiful. Bella, you've really made your shop an extraordinary haven. I can readily see the appeal. You've really done a great job with the store and I can see that you're not at all hurting for repeat business. I can't think of a better place to make my debut as E.A. Masen. Although, we hadn't yet gone upstairs...the children's area, right?"

"Oh, we missed it? That's one of my most favorite places in this shop. I think it's Alice's, too. We should go up. You have to see it."

"I had just figured that with the kids' workshop going on up there, you just skipped it because you didn't want to disrupt them."

"Well, there's actually a little retreat room up there where Jasper and Alice are conducting the workshop, so we wouldn't be disturbing them. C'mon," Bella encouraged, starting to walk away.

Edward grabbed her elbow to stop her. "Wait. There's really no hurry. You don't need to impress me anymore than you already have. I'm sure it's magical up there, but if you show me everything now, then I'll have no reason to come back and get another personal tour from you."

"You plan to come back? I mean, apart from your upcoming appearance?"

"Of course I do. I believe you got yourself a new regular, just like Alice. Like I said, I always trust Alice's instincts and there's probably a lot of reasons besides the books and the children's hour that keeps Alice spending a lot of her time here. I actually plan to come back often. So, I assure you that there would be plenty of chances to show me your children's area upstairs and whatever else you'd like to show me of your fine establishment. I haven't even shopped yet and if anything I may just come to visit my newest favorite shop owner." Edward gave Bella a wink and a that lopsided grin of his that made Bella weak in the knees.

"Oh...okay," Bella uttered, blushing again at Edward's insinuations, causing Edward to smile. He simply adored Bella's blush. "Um, Alice and Jasper still got a few more minutes before they wrap up the children's hour. Maybe you want to look around some more on your own? You could possibly peruse our selections."

"Actually, since we're already here in the cafe, I'd kind of like for us to sit down and just grab a bite. I've been smelling the most wonderful aroma since I got here, and I do believe it's the cupcakes. To be honest, they smell an awful lot like the one's my sister has been baking of late, and it's really making my stomach growl."

Bella couldn't help but giggle. "I would think that the cupcakes that Alice have been making do smell a lot like the ones we make here, since I gave her our exclusive, super-secret recipe."

".God. She learned how to bake those absolutely, delicious, mouth-watering cupcakes from here?"

"Um, yeah. It's the Little Book Nook's special recipe. Our cafe is kind of known for them," Bella explained with pride. "Alice has been begging me for the basic recipe and I finally decided to go ahead and give it to her."

Edward looked like he was practically drooling. "No offense to my sister, her cupcakes are good, but I have a feeling that the original will be better." He began looking at the display case that held the many varieties of cupcakes and his eyes were wide and he licked his lips in anticipation, ready to taste every single kind the cafe had.

Bella had to giggle at the sight of Edward. "You look like a starving man that finally found food. Seems like you're already hooked on our cupcakes."

"What can I say? I enjoy a good cupcake." With that Edward shrugged. "Scratch that, I love a great cupcake."

"Even more reason you should ask Bella out now," Alice said from behind Edward and Bella, who's attentions were still focused on the display case.

"Alice," Bella whined, as well as blushed again. "Give it a rest already," she tried to discreetly whisper to Alice, but Edward still heard anyways, causing him to smirk.

"I think Edward should know, since he's become such a lover of your cupcakes, that you're the genius behind them," Alice said smugly.

Edward's eyes grew wide again. He started to stutter out, "You...you...you are the originator of the most delicious cupcakes I've ever tasted?"

"Duh. How do you think I was able to get her recipe? Although, I must say, mine are good, Bella, but they are really nothing like yours. There's something about yours that I'm missing from mine, even though I follow the recipe exactly."

Bella's cheeks continued to further turn crimson as she meekly confirmed all of what Alice said to Edward. "Um, yeah. It's an old family recipe. I come early to the shop and get them started every day and I try to vary the flavors a bit by adding little things here and there. Then the rest of the cafe staff goes ahead and put the other finishing touches, because I still have to get the shop ready. But, I don't think I do anything else special. I swear, Alice, I don't have any special ingredient that I failed to give you. I told you everything I do to make them and how I do it with the varied flavoring."

"It must just be you then," Alice said matter-of-factly.

"I can totally agree that you're something special, Bella, and that's why it also shows in your cupcakes. No offense, sis," Edward added.

"None taken," Alice retorted back.

Edward rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. Bella couldn't help herself from noticing.

"Well, that confirms it. I must try one of everything," Edward continued.

It was Bella's turn for her eyes to widen. She stuttered, "Uh...one...one...one of everything? Wouldn't that be too much sugar? Some of the cupcakes are really very sweet."

Alice giggled. "Oh, he can handle it, I'm sure. Edward's sweet tooth is just like our dad's."

"Oh, okay," Bella said, incredulous, but proceeded to get behind the counter and grab one each of the cupcakes they had in the shop.

"Um, Bella, while you're back there, grab one each of mine and Jasper's regular favorites...to go. As much as I'd love to stay and watch Edward stuff his face here full of your delectable cupcakes, Jasper and I don't have time. I got to get to school and Jasper forgot that he needed to head into work a little bit earlier, so we have to run," Alice explained.

"Oh," Edward muttered softly, disappointment clear in his tone.

Alice further clarified, "I said, Jasper and I have to run. I'm going to give him a ride to his work, since it's on the way to school. He took the bus in since it seems his car is on the fritz. I didn't say you were going anywhere, Edward. You can stay and get sugar shock with Bella's cupcakes."

"What? Are you just going to leave me here? You can't do that," Edward stated, alarmed.

Alice smirked. Edward didn't realize that this was her plan all along.

"I figured you'd want to eat your cupcakes and spend more time with Bella. You don't have anything pressing at the moment. Bella's shop is really a wonderful place to kill a few hours. You should go exploring. I assure you won't regret your time here."

"Look, I don't mind spending a little more time here. I like the idea of spending more time with Bella. But, how pray tell do you propose that I get home? You drove me here. I'm not planning to go to my writing loft today and you know I abhor public transportation. I'd really like to just head home. I don't suppose you want me to call Emmett or Riley, or am I suppose to call a cab?" Edward asked, clearly annoyed at his situation now.

Alice shrugged. "I just figured you can catch a ride with Bella. She's heading over later, anyways." To Bella Alice asked, "We're still on, right?"

Bella nodded. "Yup, I got my stuff in the back and I'm all ready. By the way, thanks again for letting me stay over."

"You ladies having some sort of sleepover or something? Is Bree and Rosalie coming too?" Edward inquired, clueless to the ladies' plans.

"Something like that, bro," Alice told Edward. "But, it's just going to be Bella. Oh my, did I forget to tell you?"

Bella gasped. "You didn't tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Edward asked, looking between Alice and Bella.

"Damn, I've had so many things on my mind lately, I guess I just forgot to mention it to Edward. I definitely told Riley and Emmett and they were cool with it. Edward, you've just been gone working on your book and I've been busy myself. I'm sorry...it just slipped my mind."

"What slipped your mind?" Edward now looked upon Alice suspiciously.

Bella thought it would be a good time to interject, "Um, my upstairs neighbor of my condo complex sort of burst a pipe in his place and ended up flooding my place in the process. The building manager and the insurance company are working to fix the damages and restore my place, but in the meantime, I'm out of a home. I was all prepared to bunk up in a hotel for a few days until I can move back in, but Alice insisted that I stay with you guys. She told me it was all right with all of you brothers. I guess she forgot to check with you. Um, it's okay...I can always head to a hotel like originally planned."

"You will not be staying in a hotel," Alice quickly reacted, placing her hands on her hips. "We've got plenty of room over at our house and as one of your best friends, it's my duty to give you a place to slum at for the time being. Edward, you wouldn't make poor Bella stay at a hotel when she can stay with us, would you?" She then gave Edward that patented pout of hers that always helped her get her way when she wanted something from her brothers.

Edward was put on the spot. Bella's eyes look so dejected, probably thinking that he wouldn't approve of her staying at the home he shared with his siblings. It seemed Alice and Bella were looking forward to their time living together. How could Edward say no?

"Even if you had told me, I would never turn down helping a friend a need. Of course, Bella doesn't need to stay in a hotel. We can't allow it. There's plenty of room at our house, really. It's no problem."

"I promise I won't be any trouble at all," Bella said enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up.

"I'm sure you won't be," Edward responded, thinking that he was definitely the one who would be in trouble, now that Bella was going to be his newest roommate.

Alice had the biggest smile on her face. Her plans were falling into place.

Edward was being stubborn and hadn't asked Bella out on a first date yet, despite all her prodding, stating that he planned to take his time with Bella, or rather was trying to prove to everyone else that he wasn't as affected by Bella. Alice knew that deep inside, Edward wanted to start dating Bella. He just couldn't allow himself to get the balls in motion yet.

It had really been Emmett and Riley's fault for razzing him about her in the first place. It wasn't like they weren't just as whipped by Rosalie and Bree.

Well, Edward's lack of action wasn't going to do with Alice, so she began to plot and Bella's condo disaster couldn't have come at a perfect time. Alice thanked her lucky stars and placed her plan in motion. Alice was sure that by the time Bella moved back to her own place, Edward was going to be begging for that first date.

"Yay...now that's all settled, Bella you don't mind giving Edward a ride home, right?"

"Um, sure. I can definitely leave early today and was already planning to since I wanted to settle myself at your house."

"Well, then that's perfect. Edward can occupy himself for at least an hour or two here. It might've even take him an hour just to finish his cupcakes," Alice teased. "There's Jasper, gotta run." With that, she grabbed her cupcakes off the counter that Bella had boxed and was off and out the door with Jasper before Edward could really blink. Edward stared after them for a beat.

Bella cleared her throat and garnered Edward's attention back. "I'm actually free to go whenever you want. You don't have to hang out here and get bored. I can even drop you back home and then return to the shop, if you like?"

"What? Nooo...I could never let you go through so much trouble. I actually want to enjoy these cupcakes and chat with you a bit, like we originally planned. Now that Alice and Jasper are gone, all the better. Then I do want to explore a bit on my own. Like I said, I plan to spend a lot more time here. Maybe I'll discover something and I can just sit and read for a while. Please don't be in any hurry because of me. Like Alice said, I can definitely occupy myself until you're ready to go. Really, you won't have to mind me," Edward told Bella.

"Okay. I promise I won't be too much longer," Bella reiterated.

She then grabbed themselves some coffee, Edward's cupcakes, and one for herself, and they both grabbed a booth to have their treats. Bella found that she and Edward could talk forever. They never seemed to run out of things to say to one another, unlike most of the guys she had dated.

Of course, their conversation had to come in between Edward's chewing of his many cupcakes. Each time he polished one off, he made the sexiest moan of satisfaction that went straight to Bella's center. She'd had to cross and uncross her legs several times under the table.

Much to her amazement, Edward actually finished his cupcake dozen, and genuinely seemed to enjoy each and every single one. Bella humbly accepted his compliments for her cupcakes, then excused herself, unable to stand being in his presence any longer. She wanted nothing more than to jump Edward's bones, which was not only highly inappropriate, but certainly wouldn't bode well for her reputation as an upstanding business owner.

What would the other customers think if she just went ahead and threw Edward down on the table and licked all the cupcake icing off his pretty mouth and proceeded to go even further? Yeah, that wouldn't go over well; it would downright scandalous, especially since there were kids present in the shop. She did, however, have gain a new fantasy she could dream about.

Bella briefly thought about taking Edward back into her office, foregoing all the dating BS that they should go through first, but that wouldn't be right either, especially not with his less than stellar reputation in relationships. So, Bella quickly shook herself out of her very dangerous thoughts.

After Bella had to go back to her work, Edward was left to his own devices and went exploring around Bella's shop. He found it quite easy to find his way around the books, admiring the way Bella thoughtfully organized her shelves with her customers in mind.

He perused the shelves and finally settled on checking out one of his primary competitors. An author much like him from a rival publishing house, except he knew that this author, James Laurent, was an author for more the fame than for showcasing his work-something Edward absolutely despised. But, of course, it took all kinds to be in the writing industry and Edward actually felt that certain publishing houses lacked being discriminant as to whom they decided to publish these days. It seemed anyone could be a writer now. Edward felt that James Laurent's publishing house was just the type.

Laurent never lacked for self-promotion. He had been all over the airwaves promoting his latest release. Edward had seem him on TV, visiting various talk shows, and on the news doing a bevy of appearances here, there, and everywhere just to promote his latest book. Edward had even heard him on the radio. James Laurent's exploits were also a tabloid staple and Edward probably couldn't open a magazine without seeing his face. Edward had even seen a bus with Laurent's billboard on its side.

This type of over-marketing disgusted Edward, cause it made it not about the work anymore, but its star author. It was exactly why Edward enjoyed staying away from it. Edward felt smug knowing that he had sold just a little more copies of his books than James and he didn't even do as much marketing that James had done.

After settling in to read a bit of James' book, Edward could now understand why all the marketing was necessary. The book was utter garbage and all the marketing was used to hide what a truly terrible product they had. Edward couldn't even understand why people would even want to buy such a poor excuse for a book. Furthermore, he couldn't understand why any publishing house would see fit to even publish the atrocity. Surely, James Laurent probably worked with an editor, but to Edward, it wasn't at all evident in the work.

Edward made a mental note to talk to Bella about carrying that kind of garbage writing in her world-class book shop. It didn't have a place amongst all the other quality books and works of true authors. He hoped that Bella didn't plan on featuring James Laurent's work in her series of contemporary writers-that would just be wrong.

Having had enough of Laurent's exercise in poor writing, Edward returned it to the bookshelf. He rubbed his eyes, willing the thoughts of how poorly Laurent's book was written, away. He knew that he still had some time before Bella would be ready to go, so he made his way up the children's area and reveled in the magical wonderment of the space. He could understand why Bella and Alice loved being up there.

The space was part tree house, pirate ship, doll house, and cozy cabin with bold colors and whimsical murals on the walls. It was truly a haven for the kids and for adults as well.

He was able to reminisce about his childhood perusing some of the children's titles there, the memories of his mother and father reading him those particular stories, coming to mind. After watching the little kids enjoying themselves playing, he couldn't help himself but join in.

The children's area was where Bella found Edward, who seemed to have made some new friends. Bella thought she couldn't possibly fall for Edward anymore than she already had, but the sight of him sitting in the rocking chair and reading to the kids animatedly simply had her heart racing.

She knew he would make a great father someday. Bella kicked herself internally for having her mind think so far ahead. He hadn't even asked her out yet.

They said their goodbyes and made their way to Bella's car. Edward helped her with the two small suitcases and cosmetics bag which would tie Bella over until she could move back to her own home. Edward liked that the girl seemed to be an efficient packer, and from what he garnered, fairly low maintenance, unlike some of his past girlfriends-most of whom he knew would have that much luggage for an overnight stay.

He also liked that Bella didn't drive a flashy or even expensive modeled car, despite her ability to probably afford one. She drove a practical black Volvo SUV with no real frills. It didn't escape his notice that they both drove Volvo's.

He also liked that Bella had no qualms about letting him drive. Alice would never let him drive her car, as well as many of the girls he dated. Many people didn't know this about him, but he hated being a passenger-he really preferred to be behind the wheel. So, another point to Bella.

As they drove off, Edward looked calm and engaged Bella in more casual conversation. Inside, though, was an entirely different story. The more he got to know Bella, the more he was falling for her. Each and every new thing he found out about her, he liked. She was certainly very different from girls he dated in the past. He didn't know how to handle all these feelings that Bella was stirring in him. His resolve to keep things casual between the two of them when he got up the courage to ask her out on a date was slowly deteriorating. He couldn't imagine wanting anyone else while he was with Bella. Ever since she had walked into his life, he practically forgot about his fuck-buddy, Sena.

The fact that they were now going to live together for an unknown period of time had him nervous. He didn't know how he could possibly handle seeing her every day and be that close to her.

Edward suddenly realized that Bella was going to be big trouble. That is, big trouble for his heart.

* * *

><p><strong>END AN: **Wanted to give a shout out to all the new readers, those of you that have put my little story on alert or has favorite'd my story. I appreciate all the love and support-it makes my heart swell with such happiness. Thank you all so much for reading and continuing to review! I hope to continue to have all of you on our little story journey.

Posting a teaser in a bit, but wanted to let you all know that once in a while I do get my act together and submit a teaser for this, and my other WIP's, with a couple of fic sites-

-The Fictionators blog-Teasers post on Mondays

-The TwiNetwork-Teasers post on Tuesdays

-The Twilight Fic Zone-Teasers post on Saturdays

I'll let you all know if I find other sites that I will post teasers on. I'm not consistent by any means, but you can at least check them out on occasion if you want to be further teased.

Lastly, here's an itty-bitty teaser:

"_Is it bad for me to wish for one of the players to get injured, so that I could see my man?"_


	34. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Okay, here's the long-awaited next chapter! I profusely apologize for its extreme delay. Time had gotten away from me. Believe me, I've already thoroughly chastised myself.

Just a shorter one this time around; it was never meant to be very long, just in case you were wondering. I just hadn't had time to put all the finishing touches and make it post-ready.

Thank you again so much for the love and I appreciate the support more than you know! I also appreciate your continued patience with me in getting these updates out.

Wanted to dedicate this chapter to another one of my wonderful readers, Chilly Howdy, who had been making my days with her thoughts on my chapters.

**SO I JUST FINISHED REPLYING TO ALL MY BACKLOG OF REVIEWS,**

**AT LEAST TO THOSE I COULD REPLY BACK TO.**

**PLEASE CONSIDER NOW GIVING ME MORE REVIEWS, SO I COULD REPLY**

**TO A WHOLE NEW BATCH**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29: Emmett Is Rosalie's Man<strong>

"_Whatta Man"_

_by: Salt N Pepa feat. En Vogue_

_What a man, what a man, what a man_

_What a mighty good man_

_What a man, what a man, what a man_

_What a mighty good man_

_I wanna take a minute or two, and give much respect due_

_To the man that's made a difference in my world_

_I know that ain't nobody perfect, I give props to those who deserve it_

_And believe me y'all, he's worth it_

_So here's to the future cuz we got through the past_

_I finally found somebody that can make me laugh_

_(Ha ha ha) You so crazy_

_I think I wanna have your baby_

_A lot of snot-nosed ex-flames couldn't be him_

_He never ran a corny line once to me yet_

_So I give him stuff that he'll never forget_

_He always has heavy conversation for the mind_

_Which means a lot to me cuz good men are hard to find_

Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper made their way through the crowds piling into Century Link Field and headed up to the special viewing room which Emmett was nice enough to reserve for them. Rosalie was super excited about watching the game, and especially about being able to watch it from a VIP box; something she had always wished to do, being such a football fan. She had never had the chance until she met Emmett. Alice and Jasper weren't really interested in the game, but Rosalie wanted some company, and since Bella and Bree were working and she didn't have anyone else who could attend the game with her, Alice agreed to come along then dragged Jasper to accompany them.

Rosalie was practically bouncing all the way up the stairs to the upper levels where all the VIP viewing rooms were. Alice found Rosalie's enthusiasm cute.

"Are you always this excited to watch a game in person?" Alice thought to ask. She had never seen her friend quite like this.

"Of course," Rosalie affirmed. "There's nothing like watching the game in a stadium, especially when the team's on their home field. It's exciting. There's a certain, special energy being out there with all the rest of the fans, cheering for the players, and hoping for a victory. It's very different atmosphere than just sitting at home and watching from your TV, even if you have other people watching with you. Every season I always get tickets and watch at least a couple of the games here at the stadium; especially when they're playing certain teams. Do you not get out to the games very much?"

Jasper chuckled, then commented, "Alice and sports don't necessarily mix."

Alice shook her head in confirmation to Jasper's statement, then continued explaining, "Jasper has a point. I'm not into football or a big fan of any sport, really, unlike the rest of my family. As you can imagine, Emmett must've gotten the love of all things sports from somewhere; however, I never got interested. My dad used to love to take the whole family to games, and it wasn't just football. Baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer...you name it, he made it a point to take us to watch a live game at some time during the season. It was always a big family day when he got tickets to some game. Although it was fun to have the family time, I would get bored at the games, while my brothers relished the opportunity. I was grateful when I was old enough to pass on going. I could really care less about sports, but I was a supportive sister to Emmett when he used to play. I haven't gone to games since. Actually, I think this will be the first game I've seen of the Seahawks at this stadium in a long time."

Rose looked at Alice incredulously. "Really? Well, the other sports I could do with or without. But, not even the Seahawks? Alice, your brother works for the team."

Alice chuckled. "Yeah, well, usually the Seahawks play on a Sunday or Monday. On Sunday, there's church, church functions, and other endeavors I find worthier and more fulfilling. On Mondays, I've usually got a full day of classes. There's no time."

"Oh yeah, I hadn't thought of that," Rosalie answered back. "Then why did you come with me today?"

"To be honest, I needed a change of pace today. Thought it would be fun for Jasper and I to catch a game together. Do something different. It hadn't been something we'd done yet since we started dating. Besides, I didn't want to miss you making googly eyes at my brother."

Rosalie blushed. Blushing for Rosalie was something rare; there aren't many things that she blushed over. However, just the mere mention of Emmett's name, made her cheeks turn a rosy pink. Both Alice and Jasper thought it was cute.

Rosalie sighed. "I can't make googly eyes if I don't even see him. It isn't like he's out on the field regularly or anything."

"True," Alice agreed. "But, in any case, you can see him after the game."

"Would it bad of me to wish that a player gets injured just so I can catch a glimpse of my man?" Her question meant to be rhetorical.

Alice and Jasper both laughed. "I think the Seahawks will have a big problem with that," Jasper responded.

"Yeah, you're right. I don't want to curse the team. They need all their good players at their best if they're gonna win games. Today's not going to be an easy one against the Broncos. They're pretty evenly matched in my opinion, but the Broncos now have Manning."

"Yeah, the game is probably going to come down to if Manning is in the zone or not. Denver's got some weaknesses that can be exploited. Manning's still feeling his way through his new team. If he gets pressured enough then the turnovers could start to happen," Jasper remarked.

Rosalie's eyes lit up, the way it always did when she found someone she could intelligently discuss sports with. That was definitely one of the foremost things that attracted her to Emmett. Well, that and his dimples, and it wasn't just the dimples on his cheeks. It was a surprise to her that Jasper seemed to be fairly knowledgeable about football. Frankly, she didn't think he was the type to be interested in sports, let alone football. Jasper came off to her as an introspective hippie type and she was of the opinion that a guy like that didn't follow sports. At least, all the men she knew that were like Jasper weren't sports enthusiasts.

"Why Jasper, I didn't know you followed the game," Rosalie remarked.

"I'm no aficionado like your boyfriend, but, yeah, I've been known to watch a game or two with the guys and hold my own."

The mention of Emmett as her boyfriend made Rosalie blush again. She made a mental note about learning to control her reactions when it came to the mere mention of Emmett. Rosalie Hale didn't blush and she wasn't some young schoolgirl anymore, although starting this new relationship with Emmett certainly made her feel like one.

"Well, we gotta compare notes during the game," Rosalie finally responded back after she controlled her blushing.

"Sure thing, darlin," Jasper replied. "Although, I'd warn that Alice will probably find our discussions completely boring and won't be able to add to it."

"Hey, don't sell Alice short," Rosalie admonished.

"No, no...Jasper's right. I'll be bored and won't be able to add anything. Up until we arrived here at the stadium, I'd thought that the Broncos quarterback was Tim Tebow. I had gone on and on to Jasper how I thought he was cute and it was going to be cool to see him play finally. A lot of other girls at school like him. I'd had no idea that he was replaced by Peyton Manning. I thought Manning had retired already or something."

"So, the truth comes out after all," Rosalie said with a giggle. "Should've known that you'd have ulterior motives."

Alice interjected, "Moi? Never. Pffft..." Dismissing Rosalie's words with a wave of her hand and a giggle of her own.

"Well, don't be too disappointed. You can still have a chance to see him play. He plays for the Jets now and the Seahawks play the Jets in a few weeks here at home."

"Making a mental note now to make sure to have Emmett get us tickets for that game," Alice said with a smirk.

Jasper pouted. "Tebow isn't all that," he retorted. "I don't even get all the hype surrounding him. I mean, there's a reason he lost that starting QB job at Denver. You can count me out of that game. I wouldn't even want to be there to watch you two making googly eyes, as you say, at Tebow. Besides, I think I've got other plans that Sunday."

"Oh. Are we jealous now?" Alice teased.

"No. Not at all," Jasper lied. "You're certainly free to crush on whomever you want. Even if it's just some lowly football player whose pretty much still a rookie at this point. We're just _friends _after all" he uttered, quite a bit disgust evident in his tone. "Let's change the subject. How about we all concentrate on today's game, hmm?"

Alice and Rosalie couldn't help but giggle at Jasper. It was really all Alice's fault for bringing Tebow up in conversation. It was for a purpose, though. She always felt that a little jealousy never hurt anyone. When it came to Jasper, she needed to keep him on his toes and working for her affections. Even though Alice knew that Jasper is the love of her life and there will never be anyone else for her, after what he had put her through before, she wasn't going to make it too easy for him to win her back. She felt entitled to a little payback. Jasper couldn't just expect that he'd walk back into Alice's life and they'd automatically go back to the way their relationship was before.

Jasper remained quiet after the Tebow talk, as they made their way up to their viewing suite. Rosalie and Alice continued to giggle at him and talk in whispered conversation. They finally reached their viewing suit with the perfect view of the entire field.

"Where has Emmett been all my life?" Rosalie exclaimed once she entered the posh personal viewing suite at Century Link Field. "Now this is the way to watch the Seahawks play."

Jasper smirked. "Easy. He was screwing Seahawks cheerleaders," Jasper teased, breaking into a chuckle. It was his way of getting back at the girls for the Tebow talk.

Rosalie glared daggers at him. She was not amused by his remark.

Alice was also not amused. "Don't mind Jasper's lack of filter," Alice supplied, slapping Jasper on his arm causing him to yelp. Alice smiled then continued, "You just hadn't met me yet."

"Girl...the day I met you was one of the best days of my life. It was as if it was like fate, y'know," Rosalie responded.

"Oh, I know," Alice said knowingly with a wink.

"I can't wait to see Emmett after the game, if only to be able to thank him for these accommodations. Look, they've got the drinks already chilling in a cooler and there's a basket with fruit, plus another with popcorn and peanuts. Oh, and look, there's a menu and you can use the little phone to order whatever food we want if we get hungry. This is heaven. I can't imagine watching the games anymore any other way." Rosalie was both amazed and impressed.

"Well, since you're now dating Emmett, I guess you pretty much guarantee that you'll always be watching the games in style," Alice remarked.

"I think I may just keep him around for this perk," Rosalie said with a smirk.

They settled into their seats just as the teams came out of their respective locker rooms and the players were being introduced. Rosalie bounced up and down in her seat with excitement and anticipation and cheered loudly as each of the Seahawks players were being introduced. She sighed. If only they could introduce the rest of the staff, too. She didn't know if Emmett was even out on the sidelines watching. Most likely he was in the locker room or the doctor's clinic inside the stadium awaiting to see if he was needed. She couldn't imagine how she'd ever concentrate on the game. Not with her mind constantly on Emmett. Not to mention those cheerleaders that Jasper had mentioned.

"So...," Alice began, interrupting Rosalie from her thoughts. "Tomorrow's finally the big day, huh."

Rosalie's eyes lit up again. She excitedly responded, "I can hardly wait."

"Big day for what?" Jasper asked, clueless.

"It'll be Rosalie and Em's first official date," Alice filled him in.

"Oh, so you two haven't even really gone out on a date yet?" Jasper questioned and Rosalie nodded her head "no". "Well, by the way you'd been talking all about Emmett, I'd just naturally assumed you two had already...never mind. Uh, let me just apologize for my snide remark earlier about Emmett and the cheerleaders. That was crude of me. I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot, now. But, understand, it's just a little teasing. Please don't hold it against me."

"Well, that's nice of you to apologize. Apology accepted. No harm done. You were just stating the obvious. I know that Emmett had quite the colorful past."

"Oh, colorful doesn't even begin to describe it," Jasper commented with a chuckle and Alice swatted him on the arm again.

"But that's all in his past," Alice added. "Since he's met you, I've really seen a noticeably different Emmett."

"It's good to know that I've made an impression. I do think all that's behind him; otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to finally go on this date." Under her breath, Rosalie muttered to herself, "At least, I hope all that's behind him."

"So, are you excited?" Alice inquired.

"I am. I'd never been on an all-day date before. I wonder what he's got planned."

"I don't have any idea," Alice played coy. "I'm sure you're going to have a great time, though. Isn't it sweet of him? He wanted to spend as much time with you before he has to leave for a couple of weeks."

"Yeah, that's going to suck. Talk about poor timing. He'll take me on this fabulous date, then he'll be gone. Thinking about it just makes me miss him already," Rosalie said with an audible sigh.

"I don't see how it'll matter. You guys will just talk and text at all hours like you usually do. You probably won't even really know that he's gone. Before you know it, he'll be back."

"There is that, but I just worry about those cheerleaders whom Jasper mentioned. You just never know."

"See what you started?" Alice scolded Jasper.

"Sorry. Sorry," Jasper apologized. "It was just all in good fun. If it's any consolation, Rosalie, he does seemed to have outgrown his penchant for cheerleaders."

"Of course, he did," Alice concurred. "Really, Rose, since he's met you, he's only had eyes for you. Like I told you, he's changed. He'd never think of going astray when he's got you waiting for him back here. Those cheerleaders have nothing on you, girl."

At least, that was what Alice hoped. Resisting temptation had never been one of Emmett's strong suits. The next two weeks that will have him away with the team was going to be a test for Emmett to see if he has changed his ways like he keeps saying. Emmett was notorious for having indiscretions whenever he was at away games with the Seahawks. Certainly, he's embarking on something new with Rosalie, and for the most part, he seems to be totally enamored; however, sometimes Emmett is his own worst enemy. If temptation is dangling in front of him like a carrot in front of a bunny, he may not be able to resist. It might not necessarily occur to him that he's going to blow any chance he has with Rosalie for that one night of instant gratification. Alice vowed to keep a close watch on Emmett while he was out on the road; making sure that Emmett thinks with the head that's attached to his neck and not the one he keeps in his pants.

* * *

><p><strong>End AN: **Next up, we'll check in on how Riley and Bree are getting on.

Give me just one moment to draw your attention to a current fandom charity that is near and dear to my heart, Fandom4Colorado. As you may or may not know, Colorado, my home state, has been ravaged by terrible wildfires. This charity is asking for help for the wildfire victims.

It could use your help in any way that you can give it.

Please visit: fandomcause . info (you know what to do to make the link proper) for more information.

Thanks in advance!

Hope everyone had a nice 4th! If anything, hopefully it was a good middle-of-the-work-week break. Besides the no fireworks because of the statewide ban, mine was pretty nice and uneventful. Only wish I'd had time to write that day. But, that's my wish every day, it seems.


	35. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **I'll save you all from the excuses. Just, here's the chapter that I fought hard to bring you and wished it was in a timelier fashion. Sometimes the muse takes a break and the characters aren't speaking to you, y'know.

Welcome to all the new followers! Thanks to everyone that has Favorite'd this story and of course, a huge thanks to all those who leave reviews. Major appreciation goes out to those loyal readers who had, is, or will be reviewing every chapter-my writer's heart is simply thrilled that there are folks out there who does that for my story. Thank you! Thank you!

**I APOLOGIZE AT BEING SUCH A FAIL AT REVIEW REPLYING CURRENTLY**

**BUT PLEASE DON'T LET THAT STOP YOU FROM LEAVING ONE**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 30: Riley and Bree Sitting In A Tree, K*I*S*S*I*N*G<strong>

Riley had asked to have lunch with his sister, Alice. It was a rare thing to happen, so Alice knew that whatever his reason, it was important. She didn't dare decline the invitation. Of course, lunch entailed she cook for her brother and they eat over at campus in between his classes.

Much to Alice's chagrin, she and Riley did more talking than actual eating. It was all right, though, since Alice left the lunch very much enlightened as to what had been going on in Riley's mind of late. She had been wondering.

Their talk centered around Bree and Riley's feelings for her. Alice thought that she'd found the perfect match for Riley in Bree, but she was starting to question herself. Although there was obvious attraction and intense flirtation between the two of them, neither one had really acted on their feelings.

_**~*APB*~**_

"You do know that you didn't have to purposely hurt your hand in order for you to see Bree," Alice said to Riley scoldingly. "She's not even an ER nurse, nor is she any sort of triage nurse for that matter."

"Geez, sis, that would've been helpful to know before I went and banged up my hand. FYI, I didn't do it on purpose, but I took comfort in the fact that I was going to get see Bree at work, in her element," Riley retorted back. "You couldn't imagine how disappointed I was when I found out that Bree didn't even work in that department."

"Oh sure, you didn't just let your hand get caught by the heavy freezer door at the club," Alice razzed.

"I didn't," Riley insisted. "I was trying to stop the door from closing inadvertently and locking me inside. It had a messed up hinge, causing it to close unnecessarily. I and the other staff had been complaining for weeks to have it fixed. It's a miracle that no one has yet been locked inside the freezer. I ended up fucking up my hand because I underestimated exactly how heavy that sucker was."

"Okay, sure...that's your story," Alice replied back with a giggle. "You do realize that I saw the whole thing."

"If that was the case, then why in the hell didn't you warn me?" Riley asked, now highly irritated. "You could've saved me a lot of time, pain, and grief. Not to mention, you already knew that I wasn't going to get to see Bree."

"It was fun to see the events play out," Alice said simply, then shrugged.

Riley rolled his eyes at his sister. "Well, I'm glad you got to have some fun at my expense," he retorted back. "I now have a bum hand, no thanks to you." He held up his hand, pointing out the soft cast he was wearing.

"Quit being a baby about your hand," Alice ordered. "You know that your hand will be right as rain in just a couple of week. Both Emmett and Dad had said that it's healing nicely. That's the benefit of having doctors in the family...excellent personal home care."

"Speaking of Emmett, he's still mad at me for not having gone to him first when I needed to have my hand looked at. I have you to thank for that, too. I think he might just delay the healing process just so he could continue to check it and feel all important."

Alice giggled again. "Oh, don't mind Emmett. He's just being a sourpuss. It seems the Seahawks hasn't been giving him a lot to do lately and he's a bored team doc. He also has all this personal turmoil he's going through because of Rosalie. Don't mind him. You know his current reprehensible attitude has nothing to do with you at all. Pfft...like it would really have been practical for you to run over to the stadium and seek him out or wait till he had gotten home in order to get your smashed hand looked at, instead of heading to the nearest emergency room."

"I know right," Riley agreed. "I'd told him the same thing and he knows I'm right, but we all know how stubborn Em can be, especially when he's gotten in one of his funky moods. But, regardless, you could've saved me a lot of grief from him, though. If only you intervened. Maybe gave me or Emmett a heads up?"

"Riley, I would think you'd know better by now. You know that I rarely mess with the natural course of things. I wasn't given my gift for that purpose. I've only ever intervened when it was absolutely necessary and only when I've seen other signs leading me to that course of action. I haven't done it for a long time."

To herself, Alice thought, but for you my brothers, my current intervention was warranted. She had a self-satisfied smirk on her face since the results of her intervention had been good thus far and her brothers didn't seem to have any idea what she has been doing.

"Yeah, yeah...I know," Riley said resigned. He'd heard the spiel before. "It still would've been nice."

"Forgive me for saying so, but I don't understand why you can't just call Bree and make a lunch date with her. Or dinner. Or even invite her to coffee before her shift. Whichever. Then, since you're interested in seeing her in her element, probably so you can fulfill some of your twisted nurse fantasies in your head, you can ask if she can show you around her work sometimes. There you go. That's a good plan. I think Bree wouldn't mind that plan at all, either. You seem to be making it harder on yourself than you really need to."

"I don't want to be too obvious," Riley answered.

"Oh and so busting up your hand just so you get a chance to see her isn't obvious?" Alice teased.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't mean to fuck up my hand?" Riley whined. "It was an accident, and it would've been a happy one if I actually had run into Bree that day."

"Coming with me to my cardiologist appointment ain't obvious either?" Alice teased further.

"I just don't get it. How come you always seem to run into her whenever you're around the hospital? You're always telling me how you ran into her unexpectedly, but yet, I've tried to be at the right place at the right time and I haven't been so lucky."

"She's a nurse dear brother and undoubtedly busy."

"She never seems to be busy whenever you're around the hospital without me. I'm starting to think that there are outside forces at work here."

Alice couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, yes, I forgot about your stalking tendencies." In mocking, she told Riley, "If you wanted to be a proper stalker, you would just sit yourself in your car out in the parking lot of the hospital until you caught sight of her. Or even better, just park yourself at either the hospital cafeteria or in the courtyard, cause she's bound to take a break eventually."

"Hey, those are good ideas. I hadn't even thought of them," Riley remarked.

"You're not actually considering?" Alice said in mocked horror. "Speaking of, why haven't you thought of them? You're usually an excellent stalker when you have your eye on a girl."

"First off, I'm not a stalker. I'm just trying to see Bree any way I can, since it's been very difficult considering our varying and busy schedules. Secondly, you know as well as I that I don't have time be camped out at this hospital just to be able to see her. Lastly, it's all Bree's fault. Ever since I laid eyes on her, she's had me all out of sorts. I haven't felt like myself," Riley answered honestly.

"Yeah, the rest of us can tell. Which is why you go and do stupid stuff like smash your hand just to try and have a chance to see her when she doesn't even work at the ER. And don't think that I don't know that the other hospital would've been closer for you to travel to have your hand looked at. You basically went out of your way to come to this hospital."

Riley glared at his sister. Annoyed, he retorted, "How many times do I have to tell you that I hadn't meant to fuck up my hand? Dammit, there are other things I could've done in order to see her without having to resort to hurting myself. Do you know how much this shit hurts?"

"Oh, fine...fine," Alice said dismissively. "I suppose there are worst stunts that you could've pulled. And, you're right, I guess you wouldn't have put yourself through so much pain just to see Bree. At least, you haven't done something like volunteer to be a male candy striper to the Pediatrics ward just so you have an excuse to spend time with Bree."

Riley commented, "As if I have the time to even do that. What with school and work."

"You thought about it, didn't you?" Alice baited him.

Riley nervously chuckled then nodded his head. "It was my first idea on how to be able to spend more time with her," he confessed. "But then I looked into it, and the amount of time I was expected to dedicate to volunteering was just something I couldn't do."

"Mmm...hmm...," Alice muttered. "Thought so." Riley had the decency to look sheepish.

"Tell me again why you just don't go ahead and ask her out, instead of trying to find sneaky ways to be able to see her? It's obvious you like one another. She'll obviously say yes. You have nothing to worry about."

"I know...I should just suck it up and be a man and ask her on a date. It's just...it's just...," Riley paused and took a deep breath before continuing to respond.

Alice shook her head at her bumbling brother. "It's just what?" She inquired.

"Are you okay with it? Me actually dating Bree?" Riley asked his sister, wary.

"What?" Alice asked in feigned surprise. She had already seen this conversation in her head.

"Why, of course. Would I even encourage you to ask her out on a date if I wasn't okay with it?" Alice questioned.

"I figured. I just wasn't sure and I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. I mean, I've seen how you've also encouraged Em and Edward to go ahead and go after your other two friends."

"Mmm...hmm...so why would I feel any different about you dating Bree?"

"I don't know. Maybe because of my history? Sometimes I think you feel that I'm the worst out of all of us. I can't say that I would blame you for thinking that. I know that I don't have a good track record with dating overall, but a worse one with your friends. I could understand if you'd feel differently about me dating Bree."

"Let's face it, Riley. Neither you, Edward, nor Emmett have exactly been saints in the dating department. You guys can definitely be considered the worst types of players. I can't say that I rank any of you worst above the rest. In my book, you're all pretty bad with relationships and shitty to women in general. Worst yet, you guys were the leading causes to the ends of lots of my friendships over the years."

"Then why...," Riley tried to interject.

"Now...now, let me finish. You boys are bad, but I don't think you guys are hopeless. I believe that everyone deserves second chances," Alice paused, then giggled. "Well, in yours, Edward, and Em's cases, third, fourth, and fifth chances."

"You've given me, D, and Em umpteenth chances, Alice," Riley interjected. "I still don't understand how you could."

"True, however, that doesn't matter. The point is, I don't hold what's happened in the past against you guys. You're all my brothers and I love you all. Equally. You guys made mistakes. But, I think you guys can learn from your mistakes and are not above reform. I'd like to believe that mom and dad did not raise hopeless causes. Was I upset before? Yes, you bet. I had every right to be. But, I've gotten past all that. I've made it through the heartaches and disappointments. Each time I've moved on and rolled with the punches. Now isn't any different."

"You're the saint, Al. You've been more than generous with me, Em, and D. You must know that we love and appreciate you for it and all that you've done and are doing for us dopes. A lesser sister would've walked away from us a long time ago."

"Yeah, well, I hope that my faith in you three isn't in vain. But, I'm thinking that we should all move forward. I believe you guys can change and I think my three friends are exactly who you guys need in order to do that. I'm willing to let you guys try at least."

"Frankly, that's kind of amazing, Sis," Riley remarked.

"Yeah...yeah, you've already told me how much you love me. To be perfectly honest, I'm being supportive because it's as much for Rosalie, Bree, and Bella for you all to try your hands at a relationship as it is for you guys. My girls really like you all, as weird as that may seem to me. I mean, whatever could they see in you three?" Alice spouted sarcastically. She then continued, "I could understand why they'd become infatuated easily, considering you three's model good looks. Lots of my friends have fallen for you three after just having seen you guys. However, amazingly enough, even after I had told them the truth about you all, they weren't swayed. Seems to me that it's a sign that this time around could be very different from what happened in the before in the past. So, who am I to mess with what could very well be fate? Besides, you all getting together pretty much benefits all the people I love, so how could I not be on board with that?"

"Okay, good. I'm glad. It's a relief to know that you won't have my head now for going after Bree."

"Then call her right now and set something up with her," Alice urged.

"Um, I can't just yet," Riley uttered.

"Why?" Alice exclaimed. The conversation had taken a turn. She hadn't seen this happening when she'd received the initial vision of her talking with Riley.

This could've only meant one thing-Riley had somehow changed his mind along the way and it was too late for Alice to have seen the changing of his mind. It just went to prove that Alice's visions aren't infallible. Her visions about people especially do change at times. The people change their minds and then it changes the course of her vision, and sometimes she doesn't see the new course in time or even at all. Her gift was funny that way.

Alice hoped and prayed that her visions for her brothers love lives were on track. God forbid that they go errant somehow, some way. She was heavily relying on her visions to be accurate and give her brothers and her girlfriends the happily ever afters she wanted for them and felt that they all deserved.

"There's another thing, Alice. I'm scared," Riley confessed.

Now Alice knew why the course of her vision deviated. Riley must not have originally thought to express his fear to her.

"Scared? Scared of what? Of Bree? Why would you be scared of her? Is that why you haven't asked her out, yet? Ry, to be frank, you sound preposterous."

"I know you're probably going to think I'm just being irrational. But, honestly, I'm scared. Not of Bree herself. More like I'm scared about my feelings for Bree and fearful for what I am potentially capable of," Riley further confessed.

"I don't quite understand," Alice responded, even though she already had an idea of what Riley was going to say and she didn't even need her psychic gift to figure it out.

"What I feel for Bree already, it's something that I hadn't felt for any other girl before. I don't know what is about her exactly, but I'm enthralled for sure. I can't really explain it. I just know how I feel. There's just something about her."

"Bree is a special lady, that's for sure," Alice interjected.

"Oh, all the feelings I get and how my heart races when I even just think about her."

"If you ask me, that all sounds like a good thing. I know it's new and different, but you should welcome it. Embrace it even. What is there to be afraid of? You're not the type to be easily daunted, especially when it comes to women. When there's a woman that's caught your eye, you usually go after her with more, um...gusto?"

"Yes, you have a point. But, there's a reason I'm holding back. I know myself, Sis. I'll probably do something to mess things up with her."

Alice giggled. She really found her brother to be silly, but endearing. "Well, you're human. You're bound to make some mistakes along the way. I don't think Bree is expecting you to be perfect."

"I think I'm bound to make a huge mistake and its going to end up costing me Bree," Riley said with frustration. "I don't want to mess things up with her. I've never cared so much before."

"Then don't," Alice replied, simply.

"Easier said than done, Sis," Riley replied back.

"I don't think so. You already seem to know what you're afraid of doing that might ruin things between the two of you. All you need to do is watch yourself. Besides, I'm always here to keep you in check."

"I don't think I know how to have a relationship with Bree. In case you haven't noticed, I don't exactly date. I can't even remember how long it's been since I've been exclusive with one woman and actually dated."

"So, you want to be exclusive with Bree?" Alice inquired, a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"I do. However, I don't think I could do it. Like I said, I'm going to mess things up," Riley complained, then buried his face in his hands.

"Of course, you can make a go of things with Bree. You shouldn't let your worries stop you. I can understand, though, why you'd be worried. It's never too late to change and start something better with Bree than you've ever had before with those other women. You just have to be more courageous, be willing to make the necessary changes, and have faith in yourself. Like I had said, these intense feelings you have for her is new and different. It's unfamiliar, so you won't exactly be an expert in handling a newfound relationship with her, and you're bound to make some mistakes. I'm sure you two will be able to make it through the obstacles just like any other couple. You needn't sweat the small stuff."

"You got me all wrong, Alice. I'm not worried about small stumbles I might make along the way while dating Bree. No, I'm more afraid of the biggest fuck up that I could ever do."

"So, enlighten me. What would that be exactly?"

"You should already know. You know how I am with girls. I'm afraid that when I get her into bed, these intense feelings I have will just dissipate because then all the mystery will be gone. No more thrills means no more interest. It's not like it hasn't happened before. But, you see, I don't want it to happen with Bree."

"Jesus, Riley. You haven't even asked the girl out on a date yet and you're already thinking of sleeping with her?" Alice interjected, a bit irritated now by the direction of their conversation.

"Hey, I'm just being honest. A man's mind naturally thinks about that whenever interested in a woman," Riley said smugly.

"Keep thinking along that line and you'll definitely screw things up for you and Bree," Alice admonished.

"You have to help me, Sis," Riley pleaded. "I don't want Bree to end up like every other girl I'd been with."

"Y'know, there's an easy solution to your supposed dilemma," Alice responded.

"And what would that be?"

"Don't make her like every girl you've been with in the past. And, just maybe, she won't be like all the rest. You've already said that what you feel for her is different. So, I think you're well on your way to handling a relationship with her differently as compared to your past relationships."

"I don't know. I just don't trust myself," Riley further confessed. "I know that I feel differently for her. I know that my feelings burn white hot at the moment. What I don't know is whether I can break myself out of the pattern of my past. I don't want to treat her the same as every one of those girls that came before her, but I don't actually know if I can do that. I don't know if I'm too far-gone to treat her special like she deserves. I'll be kicking myself hard if I was such a fool as to love her then give up on us. I don't want to hurt her, Alice. I just can't guarantee that I won't. Maybe it'll be better that she is with someone who could be love her the way she's meant to be loved. Not a player like me who can't seem to stop tossing girlfriends aside after he's been sated."

Alice huffed. "Now you're just talking nonsense, brother. How do you know that it isn't supposed to be you who would love her the way she's meant to be loved and treat her right like she deserves?"

"I just don't want to take the chance. I can't exactly change my past."

"No...you can't change your past, but you could change yourself for the future by how you operate with Bree. You say you don't want to end up treating her like all the rest, then don't. I think that should be easy enough. I think you're not giving yourself enough credit. She isn't like all the rest, so what makes you think that you'd revert to treating her the same as every other woman. You don't think that your intense feelings wouldn't be your guide to operate differently?"

"I know what you're saying, but I'm not totally convinced that I still won't majorly fuck things up between us."

Alice smiled knowingly. She had a feeling that Riley would have said exactly what he said, or at least something close to it. One of his biggest flaws was that he never put faith in himself to have a proper relationship with a woman and that was probably why he never did. Falling into the same old pattern with girls was easy for him. It was habit and familiar. He had never taken the time before to try a different approach to his relationships.

It was time for Alice to give him the advice that she'd been saving for just a time like this. She laughed inwardly to herself at the advice she was about to give because it couldn't have been more perfect for Riley with regards to forming a relationship with Bree. It was because Alice knew something about Bree that Riley didn't. However, she wasn't going to be revealing that information to her dear brother; he'd have to find it out on his own. She knew that he'd know what she knew eventually.

Alice schooled her expression. "Okay, if you're so worried then I've got another simple solution to your dilemma," she said.

Riley was intrigued. He asked, "And what would that be? You just seem to be full of simple answers today."

"Just don't sleep with her," Alice stated, trying hard not to chuckle the way she wanted to.

"What?" Riley exclaimed in utter shock. The thought was incomprehensible.

It was written all over his face because then Alice responded, "Oh, c'mon, don't act like it's such a shocking idea."

"What do you mean don't sleep with her?" Riley asked, seemingly not understanding the concept.

"I mean, don't go into the relationship with the end-goal to have sex with her. Isn't that what you usually do? Well, therein lies your problem. Maybe if you go in with a different mindset then things will be different and you won't mess up like you fear."

"I still don't quite understand," Riley stated.

"Jesus, Riley. Is the idea so hard to comprehend? Okay, let me break it down for you and I'll use small words so that your pig-headed brain can understand. You have this problem of getting sex from the woman as being the ultimate goal whenever you become interested in someone. You never want any more from the woman you're interested in than getting her into bed. You weren't actually looking for relationships. You were just looking for a means for pleasure and self-satisfaction. One, because you're too lazy to get yourself off, and two, it served your ego that you were able to conquer all these women. All of your past relationships can't even be called relationships; they have basically been just a series of one night stands. Of course, the women were too enamored with you to notice how you operate and they all fell into your trap. So, naturally...and excuse my crudeness, but once you've bagged them, you lost all interest. And why wouldn't you? You got what you needed from them. You accomplished your goal. There was nothing more that they could give you that would fulfill you. That's why you were off to the next one."

Riley scowled at his sister. He knew she was absolutely right in her assessment of his past relationships, but he didn't exactly like hearing it all spelled out for him or how it showed him how badly he had treated the women of his past. The truth hurt.

He still continued to listen intently as Alice continued on, "So, now, you want things different with Bree, then you're going to have to approach a relationship with her with an entirely new mindset. Don't make the goal be about getting her into bed. Make the goal be about having a true, long-lasting, relationship with her that is fulfilling in other ways besides the sex. Make her more than just a means for a booty call."

"Okay, I understand what you're saying. But, isn't sex a big part of being in a relationship?"

" .God, Riley. You do know that there are plenty of couples out there that have very loving and fulfilling relationships without having sex complicate things," Alice responded back assuredly.

"When they're old and gray, long married, and quite settled, maybe," Riley countered.

"You hush your mouth," Alice admonished her brother. "You know there's no truth to your statement at all. First off, lots of married couples, even older ones, continue to have very satisfying sexual relationships. It all depends on the couple and their willingness and desire to maintain that area of their relationship. If I may point out that our parents..." Alice paused due to Riley interrupting.

"Oh God! Please don't tell me how our mom and dad are continuing to get it on even at their ages," Riley groaned.

"Fine. I won't. Married couples aren't even whom I'm speaking of. If you must know, there are a lot of dating couples who choose to wait until they're married before they embark on a sexual relationship. They're perfectly content to wait and are still very happy together. More importantly, they made that sort of decision together."

"Are you kidding me?" Riley scoffed. "That's a bunch of bologna. I can assure you that more than likely the guys in relationships like those aren't content and certainly aren't the definition of happy. They're likely more miserable than anything and are probably playing along because of obligation to the girl that forced them into that sort of relationship farce. Maybe those guys really do love the girl, but I can almost guarantee you that they think if they are patient enough, then they'll be able to break the girl down. They're biding their time. I bet more than anything they'd do whatever it took to start tapping their chick. I bet that those so-called couples started off with that good intention of no sex, but none ever make it. Either they crumble and give into the pressure or the couple becomes kaput. Guys in those kind of virginal relationships are undoubtedly sexually frustrated and I can assure you that they'll only tolerate having blue balls for so long. I bet that they are probably jacking one off each night after they say goodbye to their honeys. And the only reason they may seem content is because they're probably hitting something on the side. Not getting it at the homestead, so they're getting it elsewhere. Guys in any sort of relationship cannot go without sex from a girl, period. It's unheard of. It's an innate, carnal need. Somethings wrong if a guy has a partner and isn't hitting that."

"Jesus, Riley. Y'know, not all guys are Neanderthals like you," Alice said in disgust.

"Hey, I'm not being a caveman. I just think I know guys better. Guys always have sex on the brain. Even guys that aren't getting any still have sex on their mind. Why do you think there's a lucrative porn industry? More than likely, those _virginal_ couples you're spouting about are young ones. And, they're only innocent until they both know better."

Alice shook her head at her brother and his archaic beliefs about relationships. "Riley, you're just spouting a bunch of bullshit. Pardon my language, again. Not every man is all about sex these days. Or haven't you heard? There are men out there that are about looking for a mate, rather than just a means for pleasure. You need to be that kind of man, Riley, if you don't want to mess things up with Bree. If you want her around for the long haul, instead of just a one-night stand like your usual M. not have her hate you afterwards. Take the sex out of the equation and I guarantee you that you won't end up losing interest in her. Also, have faith in yourself that you can do this. There's only one way to find out if you can strive to do better and that is to just try."

Riley buried his face in his hands. He muttered, "You're right. Damn it, Alice, you're right. I want things to be different with Bree, then I have to operate differently with her. I need to see her as a potential mate not just a fucking sexual partner. I get it now! Really, I do. But, shit, Alice, how am I supposed to not get intimate with her exactly? I mean, the girl is fucking gorgeous...sexy. She does things to me. She's going to be temptation incarnate."

Riley sighed in frustration. He was trying to figure out how he was going to resist sleeping with Bree, especially if she made the advances, and the only thing he knew for certain was that he wouldn't be able to.

"Y'know, Riley, intimacy is a big part of relationships. One can be intimate with their partner without having to go all the way and it can be just as fulfilling. Think on that. Now, I gotta go and you've got a class. I'll see you at home," and with that Alice gave her brother a kiss on the cheek and was off.

_**~*APB*~**_

It had been over a week since Riley had his talk with Alice. He still wasn't any closer to figuring out how he was going to overcome his past mistakes in order to properly date Bree, nor did he know how to heed Alice's advice of resisting sex with Bree once they actually started dating.

For Riley, it seemed an impossible task. However, if he didn't want Bree to end up like all the rest of the girls of his past, he probably needed to try this new approach.

The only thing he did know was that he wanted to...no, needed to have a relationship with Bree; otherwise, he was going to live to regret it. She was like no other girl he's been interested in before. She was constantly in his thoughts, both day and night, and he didn't think he could stand it much longer if they just remained casual friends.

He certainly hated not being able to see her as often as he would've liked. That would certainly change if they were more than friends.

Trying to see Bree was what brought Riley to the hospital once more, tagging along with Alice on another one of her doctor's appointments. As much as the thought of stalking Bree at the hospital seemed appealing, he simply didn't have that much time to devote to doing something like that. Accompanying Alice to her appointments, he could do.

Riley had been thoroughly disappointed when once again he ushered Alice to her appointment, but still hadn't "accidentally" ran into Bree. Alice was even nice enough to make a detour through the Pediatrics ward just so he would've had a better chance; however, Bree was nowhere to be found and Riley didn't feel comfortable just having her paged for his visit.

Knowing that sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office awaiting Alice's check up to be done wasn't going to get him any closer to an opportunity to see Bree, Riley decided to go outside and get some air instead. He fired a quick text to Alice letting know that he was going to go out to the courtyard for some air and that he'd meet her after her appointment was through.

He made his way to the courtyard, knowing that Bree frequented the area and that was where Alice first made Bree's acquaintance. He hoped that he'd stumble upon her out in the courtyard; however, he wasn't placing any bets that he would. He'd never had any luck all the times he'd previously visited the hospital.

He looked around, sufficiently satisfied that there was no one else around in the courtyard with him, let alone Bree. Riley sighed and leaned against one of the huge trees debating on whether he should take up smoking once again. As a courtesy to his sister and specifically for the well-being of her health, he had basically quit. It wasn't that difficult to quit, since he wasn't any more than a casual smoker. However, he had been craving a cigarette of late, probably due to all the stress he'd been experiencing with regards to Bree. The occasional drink was just not enough of a vice.

Riley produced the pack of cigarettes he had been keeping in his hoodie pocket. He had bought it a couple of days ago, but had never thought to open it yet. He stroked the box of menthol cigarettes, still debating on whether to pull out one and light up.

"Eww...you should throw those away. Smoking is a terrible habit," Riley heard someone say from somewhere up above of him, taking him by surprise.

Riley looked up into the tree, catching sight of Bree perched happily on one of the branches. Naturally, and visibly, he looked puzzled as to why Bree was sitting up on the tree branch. Inwardly, he was celebrating finally running into Bree.

"What the hell are you doing up there?" Riley asked.

"I'll tell you if you promise me that you won't crack open that pack of cigarettes and start smoking," Bree retorted back.

"Oh, this," Riley said and held up the pack. "I wasn't...well, I was just debating as to whether to start up again."

"You shouldn't," Bree advised. "It's really a terrible habit. You're gonna be killing yourself slowly. I didn't think you were a smoker."

"I'm not. I mean, I used to smoke a little back then, before Alice's health got worse, but I had stopped," Riley explained.

"Well, then, don't fall off the wagon. You successfully quit. You shouldn't start up again, no matter how bad you think you need it," Bree further advised.

"You know, you're right. It's not worth it," Riley agreed, then tossed the pack into a nearby trash receptacle. "So, now that I've ditched that habit for good, thanks to you...are you going to tell me what you're doing up in the tree? How did you even get up there?"

"I climbed, obviously," Bree answered with a giggle.

"Well, obviously," Riley responded back with a smile of his own. "But, really...what are you doing climbing trees? I can't exactly say that it's part of your job description."

"One of my patients, he loved climbing trees until he fell one day and broke both an arm and a leg," Bree started to explain.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Riley interjected, expressing his sympathy.

"Yeah, well, he recovered. Got his casts off today. The first thing he wanted to do was...climb a tree."

"And he wanted his favorite nurse to climb with him," Riley finished for her.

"Exactly. Didn't want to disappoint him, and I was due for a break anyway. Thought, why not? I hadn't climbed a tree since forever. It was fun."

"You must've made him the happiest kid. Bet he has a little crush on you," Riley teased.

"He's sweet and such a looker. He'd be a catch," Bree responded, playing along. "His parents already love me."

Riley couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy. He knew it was irrational considering this kid was just a kid, and probably all of twelve, and he really had nothing to worry about, but he still felt jealous. He wanted Bree to get all giddy like she was about him.

"I don't see the kid around anymore," Riley pointed out.

"He had to leave a little while ago."

"But, you're still in the tree."

"I realized how nice it was to be up here. One can get a lot of solace and solitude. It's peaceful, yet invigorating. Plus, you have such a nice view. I can see the appeal it had to the kid. So, I thought I'd stay for just a little while longer," Bree told him.

"Maybe you should come down. You might get hurt," Riley responded, concerned now.

"Maybe you should come up," Bree countered. "You look like you could use a good tree climbing experience. Really, perching up here is great."

"Is it safe?" Riley asked, wary.

"Wouldn't be up here if it wasn't," was Bree's response.

Riley looked up and down the tree, particularly eying Bree upon her perch on the branch. He was definitely considering joining her. He, too, hadn't climbed a tree in forever, but he remembered how nice it was to be sitting up in a tree when he was in his youth. The definite bonus was that he'd get to spend some quality time with Bree, something he'd been craving for a while.

"C'mon up," Bree encouraged. "You won't regret it," she promised.

Riley pondered the idea for a only a few seconds more before he began climbing the tree, making his way to the branch where Bree was perched. He tested the branch to see if it'll hold his weight, and satisfied that it was strong enough to carry him and Bree both, he crawled over and sat down beside her. For a beat, he just sat there admiring the view.

It was a crazy thing to do and Riley knew it, but it beat not having to strain his neck looking up at Bree to talk to her. This was much better. Sitting beside her on the branch. It was cozy.

"So, isn't this fun?" Bree asked Riley, finally breaking the silence.

"Well, you have a point about being up here. I can also see the appeal now."

"Told you. It's nice. I think, as adults, we need to do stuff like this more often. Then maybe we wouldn't get so stressed out, y'know."

"I get you. You have a point there," Riley agreed. "It's surprising how stress-relieving being up here is."

"I know, right? It's nice. Didn't I say you won't regret having come up?"

"You were right," Riley agreed and nodded. "I wouldn't have figured you to be a tree climber, though. You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

He and Bree were suddenly face to face and the air around them seemed to change. It cackled with sexual tension.

In a softer voice, Bree replied, "I am. And you could find out all those surprises if you just get to know me better."

"I do want to get to know you better," Riley said just as lowly, confessing his feelings.

"I want to know you better, too," Bree also professed.

She and Riley seemed to be inadvertently closing the space between them. Neither one of them seemed to mind and were damned to stop it anyway.

This was Riley's chance to ask Bree out on a date. He didn't miss the opportunity.

"Bree," he started.

"Yes, Riley," she said his name seductively. The sound going straight through to Riley's groin.

"Would you...would you go out on a date with me? Dinner, drinks, maybe a movie, tonight?"

"I'd love to. Honestly, I'd be waiting for you to ask. If you'd waited any longer, I felt I'd have no choice but to have you asked you out myself."

"I'm sorry I made you wait," Riley apologized. "It was always my intention," he affirmed, moving even closer now to Bree. They were so close their faces were almost touching now.

"I'm glad you finally asked," Bree said again. Her entire body was now tingling in anticipation, being so close Riley.

"Me too. Can I ask you something else?" Riley said, his voice almost a whisper now.

"Mm...hmmm," Bree muttered.

"Can I kiss you?"

Bree didn't say a word, but nodded. Soon, anymore space between them was closed and their lips pressed together. Before long, they were in an embrace, their heads tilted, deepening the kiss. Their mouths melded together beautifully and opened up, their tongues getting a taste of the other's mouth. Both let out a moan of satisfaction.

The kiss was nothing like Riley had ever felt before. It blew him away. It was everything good in the universe. Fireworks, bells ringing, unicorns and rainbows and all the cheesy crap that romance writers thought of. But, they were all the right words to describe the high he was feeling from kissing Bree, and even more.

Riley thought it was a good thing that he and Bree were up in a tree. There was nothing more they could do but kiss. If they were at any other place, Riley felt that all sense would've given way to the lust and he might've just taken Bree right then and there.

Alice's shrieking voice was what brought them out of their kiss and the moment. "Riley Cullen and Bree Tanner, you two stop that and get down from that tree right this second," Alice demanded, as if she was a scolding mother.

Riley and Bree looked down upon Alice standing below them. They both couldn't help but just break out into laughs.

* * *

><p><strong>End AN: **Wanna dedicate this chapter to, _jennayg123, _a loyal reader and who's left me many wonderful reviews. It was her review of the last chapter that finally made me kick my butt into gear and work on this until I was able to bring it to you all. So, thank you-you were just the motivation I needed.

-Teaser for Chapter 31:

_In EdwardPOV-_

_I turned the knob as softly as I could, so as not to disturb her slumber, and was relieved to find that she hadn't locked her door. I tiptoed my way inside. I knew it was wrong for me to enter her room like this, creeping and stalking her in the middle of the night, but I couldn't exactly help it. The draw I felt to her was inexplicable, as if there was this unseen magnetic force pulling me towards her, even while she slept._

-Have you checked my profile yet and looked into all the fandom charities I've been involved with? I encourage you to do so and gain some info on all the worthwhile, charitable causes.

-Lastly,

RIP Just4Ale. The Twific community just lost another one of its authors. Didn't know her personally, but know some other authors who did, and they told me that she was one of the good ones. Condolences go out to all her family and friends. She is loved and missed.

Stay Strong & Stay Positive to my friend, Jill. It's totally unfair that she's having to experience more bad of late than anyone ever deserves in their lifetime. She's going through some trying times, but I have faith that God wouldn't give her the burdens if she couldn't handle it. She's one tough lady. Please keep in her in your thoughts and prayers, and let's hope that she overcomes her latest battle and more positive outcomes come through from now on.


	36. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer: **All the recognizable characters in this story are the property of the Twilight saga's creator and author, Stephanie Meyer. I only own this crazy plot of this story and are borrowing her characters because I'm a big fan. No copyright infringement intended.

**A/N: **Happy Breaking Dawn 2 Premiere Day! Thought I'd get this out finally before things get all crazy with premiere events and I trade my fic author hat for my fan girl one.

I meant to get this out over the weekend, but y'know-kids. Anyways, hopefully you enjoy the chapter!

Excuse any mistakes. I was just in a hurry to bring it to you all.

**ALWAYS GREAT TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK-PLEASE REVIEW**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 31: Edward and Bella: The Unexpected Pull<strong>

"_The Unexpected Song"_

_by Andrew Lloyd Webber_

_I have never felt like this_

_For once I'm lost for words_

_Your smiles has really thrown me._

_This is not like me at all_

_I never thought I'd know_

_The kind of love you've shown me._

_I don't know what's going on_

_Can't work it out at all_

_Whatever made you choose me?_

_I just can't believe my eyes_

_You look at me as though_

_You couldn't bare to lose me._

_Now, no matter where I am_

_No matter what I do_

_I see your face appearing_

_Like an unexpected song_

_An unexpected song_

_That only we are hearing_

_**EPOV**_

I covertly watched as Emmett kindly helped Bella haul her things to one of the spare bedrooms, which would now be her home until her condo got fixed, remodelled, and ready for her return. I simply couldn't bring myself to aid her in her move into the house, feigning that I had urgent work to do that just couldn't wait.

But, naturally, work meant that I was going to write on my laptop wherever I damn well pleased in the house, which meant right where I have sight of Emmett helping Bella move in. I punched the keys feverishly, as if I was actually doing something productive, when actually if anyone had taken a closer look at my screen, they would've seen that I was typing out just a bunch of gibberish.

What can I say? Yes, it was a dick move. It should've been me that was helping Bella move in, but like a coward, I just chose to slink away because I still wasn't over the shock that the object of my affections was going to be my newest roommate. I acted all calm and that this turn of events didn't affect me; however, the truth was it affected me plenty and I was literally quaking inside.

Having Bella live with us was going to change everything. I was in big trouble. Not that I wasn't in trouble already the moment Alice introduced me to her newest friend. Worse yet, Bella wasn't any kind of ordinary girl to me. Spending time at her book shop and getting to know her more on the drive to the house made me realize that she was already setting herself apart from all the women of my past. She was different from all the rest.

Wouldn't you know it, Alice just had to give Bella the guest room that was next to my room. Of course, Alice couldn't possibly give her one of two other spare bedrooms down in the basement and far away from my wing of our massive house. Of course not. Alice had it all arranged. I should've known.

That-little-evil-pixie-sister-of-mine just did it to torture the hell out of me. Just like she already agreed to move Bella into our house and conveniently forgot to tell me. Yeah, I never bought her excuse for a minute. Alice was plotting, that much was obvious. If I had been more observant, I would've been able to have caught onto her plan. She was going to do anything to get me to ask Bella out on a date, if that was the last thing she ever did. I know she was going to get her way, too. It just depends on how long I can hold out for, which, if I were to be perfectly honest, would probably not be very long. I already felt myself caving and Bella had just moved in.

If there's one thing I've learned growing up with my gifted sister, it's that Alice always wins. Never bet against her when she's up to something. She probably already saw me doing the deed before I have even made up my mind about it. She's just doing her darnedest to hurry things along now. We had no chance against Alice. That is why my brothers and I call Alice our evil pixie of a sister. There was definitely good reason.

Yet, we still loved Alice to death. Who wouldn't? Like Bella, Alice was one special person in her own right.

So, yeah, I was planning to ask Bella out on a date. It was glaringly obvious that Alice wouldn't mind me dating one of her best friends. I was working up to asking Bella. Alice didn't need to push the issue. However, that was exactly why I didn't feel right to ask Bella just yet. I didn't want Bella to believe that the only reason I was asking her on a date was because Alice made me. When I do break down and ask Bella on that date, I want Bella to know that it was because I am genuinely attracted to and interested in her.

Man, oh man, am I attracted to Bella. Every time I've seen her, she'd caused my heart to race and the crotch area in my pants to become more than a little uncomfortable. Since she's now my newest roommate, I'd have to start remembering to always wear pants that gave me more crotch room whenever I was to be around her.

I wondered exactly how much I would be seeing of Bella, now that she lived here. Was I going to be able to wake up to her brewing coffee like that morning after she first spent a night here? More importantly, will she only be walking around in sleep clothes that showed off her...assets?

I wondered if I'd even be able to see her much. She did have her work at her bookshop and Alice said she was sort of married to her job. She might not even be home a lot. I still had my book to finalize and I actually had gotten inspired to start writing what would be my next story, which meant that I spent a lot of hours holed up either at my writing studio, or in my room, or anywhere really where I could focus on writing. I tend to get a bit reclusive when I'm diligently working. Not to mention that I'd notoriously lose track of time.

I really hoped that I would see Bella more often than just in passing for the duration of her stay here at the house. Being able to actually spend some time relaxing with her at home would just be splendid.

I'd hate to end up becoming like Riley, who's been making a fool of himself trying to inadvertently catch Bree over at the hospital where she worked. Bella would notice if I started spending an inglorious amount of time hanging out at her shop. But, hey, there was an idea.

I am, however, no Riley with his stalker ways. I know I can't get away with it the way Riley always seemed to. That brother of mine did always have stalker tendencies and for some reason, he's been a little more creepy and out of his wits than usual. Riley has not been himself. Alice would never directly tell him, but he's been driving her crazy. Although Riley claims otherwise, Alice told me that he went and busted up his hand on purpose in hopes of having Bree play personal nurse to him. Riley is such a dope.

However, Emmett isn't much better. He's fallen head over heels for Rosalie and he's practically whipped already. I mean seriously whipped-the poor fellow. I think Rosalie already has him wrapped around her finger to the point where if she told Emmett to jump, he'd ask "how high."

Emmett had actually ruined a whole day's worth of writing because I was the unfortunate sap that was around when he was having his meltdown about not being able to get in touch with Rosalie. I was trying to multi-task and write whilst only half listening to his tear. I ended up not only writing crap, but also became careless and forgot to save whatever good was left in that particular document, then in an instant, it was all lost when Emmett realized I was only half paying attention and decided to close my laptop during his freak out. It was the last time I was ever going to be around Emmett again when he got into one of his moods over Rosalie.

God, I hope I haven't been as idiotic as my brothers have been since having met our girls. Our girls. In a way, I already considered Bella mine.

I'd never felt quite like this before. Bella...she's more than captivated me. I'm more than enamoured. I once again feel like that nerdy school boy I was a long time ago when I had my first ever crush on a girl and I wanted to take her to the movies. It was the same exact mixed of emotions-elation, nervousness, anxiety, self-consciousness, and uncertainty. I don't think I'd ever felt giddy over liking someone, but with Bella, that's exactly how I feel. I'm giddy.

Would you believe Senna was finally back in town and I hadn't even thought to hook up with her? In the past, I would've never failed to hit Senna up whenever she was around. After all, it's been a long time, maybe even too long, since I had some. I'd been needing release and had no outlet. I'd been looking forward to finally having the booty call with Senna, but she gave me a ring and I passed her up. It was because Bella had already come into my life and Senna had become an afterthought.

Speaking of Senna, I guess I'm going to need to end our friends with benefits relationship. I don't foresee wanting to be with her any longer now that Bella is in the picture. I'm sure Bella wouldn't take too kindly to my having an FWB. I'll have to assure Bella that Senna and I are done and over with before I ask her on that date.

Senna will be alright with me ending things. She always knew that our arrangement was never permanent. Besides, I'm sure she's got some other boy toys and possibly even other women to keep her sated. In fact, I'm quite surprised we had lasted this long.

Whoa! First Maggie, now Senna and I are over. What the hell was going on with me?

I guess I must really have fallen for Bella. No more fuck buddies needed. That's a first. In the past, even when I started dating someone new, I always made sure that Maggie and/or Senna were both still available to me.

For some strange reason, Bella calls to me. She's like a Siren and I'm the sailor that's mesmerized and entranced in her spell. When we're together, it's like the world stands still and we're the only two person in existence. It's like we have tunnel vision; I only see her and she only sees me. I've noticed that when we're together, it's like the air between us has been electrically charged and the pull between us is simply indescribable. I liken us to magnets-we can't help but be attracted to one another.

Thank God the attraction is mutual between us. Otherwise, I don't know what I would do.

Bella had gotten all settled in, then Alice whisked her away for some girlfriend night of celebration. My brothers and I weren't invited. Pffft...it was another ploy of Alice's to torture me.

Riley had a shift at the bar and Emmett went off to God knows where, so I was left alone in the house, just waiting and waiting for Bella and Alice to return. I couldn't concentrate on writing, so I fiddled with my guitar instead. It had been a while since I had played music. Emmett, Riley, and I used to play music all the time and jam together, even doing some shows at a local dive that allowed amateur groups to take the stage; however, we just stopped. I don't know what exactly happened, but the music had all but gone away.

It actually felt nice to play a few chords. Before I knew it, I was playing a song that reminded me of Bella and I. I don't know why "The Unexpected Song" by Andrew Lloyd Webber came to mind, but it reminded me of the unexpected pull Bella and I have and my surprise of finding her and falling so quickly. I had even found myself singing the words and I hadn't sang in a long time either.

I think, after a few more songs, I heard both Alice and Bella come in. Somewhere from outside my door, I distinctly heard Bella say goodnight and then the door to her room open and closed. I guess she'd had a long day and headed for bed.

I wasn't able to say goodnight. That sucked!

I tried to go to sleep too, but I just couldn't rest my mind. All I kept thinking about was Bella and how she was just in the next room.

After tossing and turning more times than I could count, I decided to get out of bed. I walked to the wall that adjoined mine and Bella's room and tried to listen. I couldn't hear anything. I guess the walls were thick and Bella was already fast asleep. I walked out of my room and into the hall. The house was pretty dark, only a few security lights remained. I guess everyone else had turned in as well.

I made my way over to Bella's room and pressed my forehead to the door. I was trying to hear for any signs of life inside, since I had seen a sliver of light shining through from underneath the door. I couldn't hear anything which meant that Bella was fast asleep. For a while, I just stood there staring at her bedroom door. I couldn't bring myself to leave.

I had to see her. Goddamn it, I needed to see her. She was calling to me again and damn if I didn't answer her call.

I turned the knob as softly as I could, so as not to disturb her slumber, and was relieved to find that she hadn't locked her door. I tiptoed my way inside. I knew it was wrong for me to enter her room like this, creeping and stalking her in the middle of the night, but I couldn't exactly help it. The draw I felt to her was inexplicable, as if there was this unseen magnetic force pulling me towards her, even while she slept.

I watched her silently from the foot of her bed. I just stood there and watched her peacefully sleep. I watched her eyelids flutter and her chest rise and fall with each breath. I watched her cling to her pillow and wished it was me that she was holding onto so tightly. I watched her have a hint of a smile on her lips, probably from a good dream that she was having. I longed to touch her, climb in bed with her, and even to just hold her while she slept, but I didn't, I just stood and watched. I watched until I saw the darkness of night turn into the first slivers of light from dawn breaking.

Holy Shit! I had stood there in her room and watch her sleep all night.

Before the morning sun fully rose and bathe her room in a warm glow of light, I quietly let myself out. I knew she would probably be waking soon and the last thing she needed was to find me in her room. She would have no idea that I'd ever been there.

I went to sleep that morning understandably exhausted. I was fast asleep just as soon as my head hit the pillow. Surprisingly, I think I'd had the best sleep I'd had in the longest time filled with lovely dreams of Bella.

I woke up a little before noon to an empty house. Bella was already gone. I was disappointed, but I wasn't surprised. She had to have gone to her shop.

The beauty about being a writer, I kept my own hours. I only ever had to wake up early for meetings with my editor, agent, or the publishing company, and sometimes not even then, if they were nice enough to schedule me later during the day. It wasn't unheard of for writers to have writing binges throughout the night and then sleep in most of the day. It was this freedom that I enjoyed the most about my work.

But, of course, I hadn't been writing when I pulled the all-nighter. I had been acting like a creepy, stalker, peeping-tom, spying on Bella when she was at her most vulnerable. I wondered what she'd think if she only knew. I bet I wouldn't be able to get that date after all.

I had pulled several more all-nighters like that throughout the rest of the week while Bella was staying here. I couldn't help myself. I knew it was quite wrong for me to be entering Bella's room uninvited, even worse, staying there to watch her sleep without her even realizing or knowing. There seemed to be more than just a physical attraction between us. We seemed to also have a magnetic attraction. I couldn't sleep without watching her sleep.

I'd never let on during the day that I've been doing what I was doing. It seemed Bella and everyone else in the house had no idea either.

Maybe not even all-knowing Alice knew, though I doubt it. Alice with her special gift always knew. However, Alice had never mentioned anything to me. Maybe she was being nice enough to keep the knowledge of my late-night activities to herself, so as not to ruin my chances with Bella. I would be forever grateful.

In watching Bella sleep, I started learning a few more things about her. For example, she always loved to clutch a pillow while she slept. I guess she liked holding onto or cuddling with something while she slept. It made me think that I could be the one that she held onto and cuddled with each night. I wondered if Bella ever fantasized that the pillow was a man and if that man was ever me.

Bella always left a little night light on and I don't exactly know whether she only did that because she was staying with us, or if that has always been a regular thing she did. Maybe she was afraid of the dark. I'd meant to ask her, but I couldn't exactly tell her how I knew about her night light.

I also found out that Bella talked in her sleep sometimes. It was rather cute. I got a little insight to the kind of dreams she'd have. One night I thought I had heard her call out my name, but she had said it so faintly that I wasn't certain. However, last night, I distinctly heard my name. My heart started to race. At first, I thought that she had awoken and found me in her room. I was prepared to run and then hide away as long as I could until I thought of a proper explanation that wouldn't land me in jail or worse. But, after a couple of minutes, I realized that Bella was still fast asleep. She was just dreaming.

Lo and behold, Bella dreamt about me. That blew me away!

Just when I thought I couldn't fall for her anymore than I'd already have, she went and said my name in her sleep and impossibly I became even more attracted to her. My heart couldn't imagine wanting anyone else the way I wanted Bella. Her name was already tattooed there.

I wondered what kind of dream she was having about me. Maybe it was just a dream about us working together, since I was finally going to come out of anonymity at an appearance at her bookstore-plans were already being made for that momentous occasion. She could have been thinking about that.

However, Bella could have also been fantasizing about me. I knew that she was just as attracted to me as I was to her. Both our feelings had become obvious. I certainly fantasized about her in my sleep. It wouldn't be unheard of if she did the same. I prefer to think that when she was dreaming of me that it was a fantasy.

Well, after hearing Bella call my name out in her sleep, I resolved to stop puttering about and finally ask Bella out on that date. It was about time. Once we're together, I planned to make all those fantasies of Bella come true.

* * *

><p><strong>End AN:** First off, my thoughts and prayers going out to all the victims of Hurricane Sandy that hit the NE. Hopefully, by now, life is starting to become a little more normal again. Extra thoughts and prayers to all those who were lost and have lost loved ones during the storm.

I believe there's already a fandom charity for Hurricane Sandy out there. I will definitely donate a piece to help. Stay tuned to my author profile for more info.

-Belated Happy Veteran's Day! Always thankful to all who defend our country, especially to those who sacrificed their lives to maintain our freedom.

-Teaser: Chapter 32 will be in 3 parts-First dates.

-As always, welcome to all the new followers and BIG THANKS to all those who Favorite the story and especially to all those who review!


End file.
